“Screwed”: We will eventually be Greece if we don’t change our path

Why in the world would any American politician think they can help figure out the financial crisis overwhelming Greece and the European Union? After all, many of the problems in Greece echo those in America. And yet, President Obama inserted himself into the bailout talks. What kind of solutions could he really offer? Stu broke down the parallels between Greece and America on TV last night, and warned America to wake up before we end up in the same place as Greece

STU: Glenn has been going on and on about Greece for at least as long as I can remember. It’s one of his most passionate topics, I’d say. Finally, these morons are reaping what they sowed. Could these people be any dumber? I mean, beyond their own resources they’ve been spending, borrowing money, they had no earthly way of paying back, and increasing government handouts even after it became clear that they were crippling the country.

Greece owes various creditors about $271 billion, with Germany being the largest. So, how did they get into this mess? There are a few culprits, many of which are cited in the book Boomerang by Michael Lewis. They pay government officials almost three times as much as the average private-sector job.

An example of this overspending can be found in the national railroad. It pulls down about €100 million a year. It seems like a pretty good business, but they have to pay out about 400 million in payroll, plus another 300 million in other expenses. The average salary for a railroad employee, €65,000 a year about, 71,000 bucks. As one businessman pointed out, it would actually be cheaper for the government to scrap the railroad altogether and just pay for every Greek citizen to take cabs.

Public schools, Greece’s are among the lowest ranked in all of Europe, yet they have four times as many teachers per pupil than the rest of the best schools, which, by the way, the number one is Finland, and they’re four times as much. The school system is so bad that Greeks typically pay for tutors so that their kids actually get some learning done.

Greece is plagued with phony job creation programs such as 270 people that were paid to digitize the photographs of Greek public lands—sounds wonderful. The problem is they didn’t hire anyone with any digital photography experience at all, nobody.

The retirement age in Greece is insanely young, 55 for men and 50 for women. Wow, I thought Europe was so progressive. What is up with all that sexism there? This is at the heart of Greece’s struggles. This early retirement goes not just for police officers and firefighters, but anyone with an “arduous job,” that is including hairdressers and radio announcers. Maybe Glenn should move to Greece. He is approaching 55. Musicians even, everybody basically. So many people are retiring young and living longer, the austerity payouts are ballooning.

Government healthcare is wildly inefficient in Greece. Before the crisis, it was really just a mess. Citizens had to give medical staff cash gifts in order to make sure they’d get good treatment. While all this was going on, while everyone dipped their grimy fingers into the government pot, no one was counting how much was going in, nor how much was going out. By the time someone decided to take a breather from the spending orgy, the damage was irreparable. The debt to GDP ratio had expanded to a devastating 177%.

Greece’s unfunded liabilities are 875% of GDP. Federal spending in Greece is close to 50% of GDP. Even with all this information, people still went to the polls and voted against cuts in spending. Liberal outlets applauded the vote, referring to austerity cuts as harsh. People in Greece, of course, rejoiced at the news of the vote. I think it was 61-38 or something like that. They were happy to get another far left government to keep higher taxes, spending, and handouts in place.

What’s going to be harsh is when the day of economic reckoning arrives and they realize they really couldn’t afford any of this. This is how you destroy a country, not save it.

Here’s the best part about Greece, Pres. Barack Obama has inserted himself into the bailout talks. I can’t wait for this. Barack Obama is trying to give Greece financial advice. Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, meet pot.

Let’s go back through that list of things that helped destroy Greece again. This is going to be fun. Federal workers in Greece earn more than private citizens. Well, US federal workers earn 37% more than private-sector employees. Greece has an unprofitable state rail system. Amtrak loses over $1.4 billion every year. The biggest waste is being in the 15 little-traveled routes that cost $600 million to keep operational for no freaking reason at all.

Greece overspends on education despite failing schools. Well, the US Department of Education is $77.4 billion and increasing every single year, despite the fact that we rank 17th in the world in education. Greece has all those phony job programs. Could I remind you of the stimulus? That cost American taxpayers at least $278,000 per job with some estimates having that well over $1 million per job.

Greece’s retirement age is far too young, 55. America’s is 65. That’s a little better, but it hasn’t been changed since Social Security was invented. Even the life expectancies have dramatically improved. Greece’s government healthcare is crippling the nation. ObamaCare—I don’t think I need to go any further than that, but as you know, it’s already a mess. It’s costing us a fortune. It couldn’t even get the freaking website right to sign up to pay for it.

Greece’s debt is 177% of GDP. We’re at 101%, so we’re close. It’s worse though than France and Spain, and Spain is dealing with a 25% unemployment rate. Unfunded liabilities in Greece, 875% of GDP. In the US, it’s $90 trillion or about 500% of our GDP—not quite as bad as Greece but still terrible.

Federal spending in Greece, about 50% of GDP. America, it’s only 20.5, so we’re doing great there, and when factoring in state and local governments, of course, it’s more like 35 and is projected to rapidly rise. The economic disaster playing out in Greece is the American story in the short-term future. Our situation is not as bad as Greece’s, but we’re on the same trajectory. We will eventually get there if we keep making the same fatal mistakes as viewing austerity as harsh.

It may be harsh at times. There’s tough choices to come, but it’s necessary, and if someone in the room doesn’t have the courage to step away from the spending orgy and count the debits and credits, we’re all screwed.

What is the Secret Service trying to hide about Trump's assassination attempt?

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This past weekend we were mere inches away from a radically different America than the one we have today. This was the first time a president had been wounded by a would-be assassin since 1981, and the horrific event has many people questioning the competency and motives of the supposedly elite agents trusted with the president's life.

The director of the Secret Service apparently knew about the assassin's rooftop before the shooting—and did nothing.

Kimberly Cheatle has come under intense scrutiny these last couple of weeks, as Secret Service director she is responsible for the president's well-being, along with all security operations onsite. In a recent interview with ABC, Cheatle admitted that she was aware of the building where the assassin made his mark on American history. She even said that she was mindful of the potential risk but decided against securing the site due to "safety concerns" with the slope of the roof. This statement has called her competence into question. Clearly, the rooftop wasn't that unsafe if the 20-year-old shooter managed to access it.

Glenn pointed out recently that Cheatle seems to be unqualified for the job. Her previous position was senior director in global security at America's second-favorite soda tycoon, PepsiCo. While guarding soda pop and potato chips sounds like an important job to some, it doesn't seem like a position that would qualify you to protect the life of America's most important and controversial people. Even considering her lack of appropriate experience, this seems like a major oversight that even a layperson would have seen. Can we really chalk this up to incompetence?

Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

The Secret Service and DHS said they'd be transparent with the investigation...

Shortly after the attempted assassination, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Secret Service, launched an investigation into the shooting and the security protocols in place at the rally. The DHS promised full transparency during the investigation, but House Republicans don't feel that they've been living up to that promise. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are frustrated with Director Cheatle after she seemingly dodged a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. This has resulted in calls for Cheatle to step down from her position.

Two FBI agents investigate the assassin's rooftop Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Why is the Secret Service being so elusive? Are they just trying to cover their blunder? We seem to be left with two unsettling options: either the government is even more incompetent than we'd ever believed, or there is more going on here than they want us to know.

Cheatle steps down

Following a horrendous testimony to the House Oversight Committee Director Cheatle finally stepped down from her position ten days after the assassination attempt. Cheatle failed to give any meaningful answer to the barrage of questions she faced from the committee. These questions, coming from both Republicans and Democrats, were often regarding basic information that Cheatle should have had hours after the shooting, yet Cheatle struggled with each and every one. Glenn pointed out that Director Cheatle's resignation should not signal the end of the investigation, the American people deserve to know what happened.

What we DO and DON'T know about Thomas Matthew Crooks

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It has been over a week since 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks narrowly failed to assassinate President Trump while the president gave a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennslyvania. Despite the ongoing investigations, we still know very little about the would-be assassin, which has left many wondering if the agencies involved are limiting the information that Congress and the public are receiving.

As Glenn has pointed out, there are still major questions about the shooter that are unanswered, and the American people are left at the whim of unreliable federal agencies. Here is everything we know—and everything we don't know—about Thomas Matthew Crooks:

Who was he?

What we know:Thomas Crooks lived in Bethel Parks, Pennsylvania, approximately an hour south of Butler. Crooks went to high school in Bethel Parks, where he would graduate in 2022. Teachers and classmates described him as a loner and as nerdy, but generally nice, friendly, and intelligent. Crooks tried out for the school rifle team but was rejected due to his poor aim, and reports indicate that Crooks was often bullied for his nerdy demeanor and for wearing camo hunting gear to school.

After high school, Crooks began work at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide. In fact, he was scheduled to work on the day of the rally but requested the day off. He passed a background check to work at the facility and was reportedly an unproblematic employee. Crooks was also a member of a local gun club where he practiced shooting the day before the rally.

It was recently revealed that sometime before his attempted assassination, Crooks posted the following message on Steam, a popular computer application used for playing video games: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds." Aside from this, Crooks posted no warning or manifesto regarding his attack, and little other relevant information is known about him.

What we don't know:It is unclear what Crook's political affiliations or views were, or if he was aligned with any extremist organizations. Crooks was a registered Republican, and his classmates recall him defending conservative ideas and viewpoints in class. On the other hand, the Federal Election Commission has revealed he donated to a progressive PAC on the day Biden was inaugurated. He also reportedly wore a COVID mask to school much longer than was required.

Clearly, we are missing the full picture. Why would a Republican attempt to assassinate the Republican presidential nominee? What is to gain? And why would he donate to a progressive organization as a conservative? This doesn't add up, and so far the federal agencies investigating the attack have yet to reveal anything more.

What were his goals?

What we know: Obviously we know he was trying to assassinate President Trump—and came very close to succeeding, but beyond that, Crooks' goals are unknown. He left no manifesto or any sort of written motive behind, or if he did, the authorities haven't published it yet. We have frustratingly little to go off of.

What we don't know: As stated before, we don't know anything about the movies behind Crooks' heinous actions. We are left with disjointed pieces that make it difficult to paint a cohesive picture of this man. There is also the matter that he left explosives, ammo, and a bulletproof vest in his car. Why? Did he assume he was going to make it back to his car? Or were those supplies meant for an accomplice that never showed up?

The shocking lack of information on Crooks' motives makes it seem likely that we are not being let on to the whole truth.

Did he work alone?

What we know: Reportedly, Crooks was the only gunman on the site, and as of now, no other suspects have been identified. The rifle used during the assassination attempt was purchased and registered by Crooks' father. However, it is unlikely that the father was involved as he reported both his son and rifle missing the night of the assassination attempt. Crooks' former classmates described him as a "loner," which seems to corroborate the narrative that he worked alone.

What we don't know: We know how Crooks acquired his rifle, but what about the rest of his equipment? He reportedly had nearly a hundred extra rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and several homemade bombs in his car. Could these have been meant for a co-conspirator who didn't show? Did Crooks acquire all of this equipment himself, or did he have help?

There's also the matter of the message Crooks left on the video game platform Steam that served as his only warning of the attack. Who was the message for? Are there people out there who were aware of the attack before it occurred? Why didn't they alert authorities?

We know authorities have access to Crooks' laptop and cellphone that probably contain the answers to these pertinent questions. Why haven't we heard any clarity from the authorities? It seems we are again at the mercy of the federal bureaucracy, which begs one more question: Will we ever know the whole truth?

Who will be Kamala Harris' VP pick?

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Over the weekend, President Joe Biden officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential election and put forward his endorsement behind his Vice President Kamala Harris.

Glenn recently predicted that Biden would step down due to the mountain of pressure within his party to do so. But now that we are here we are faced with an all-new line of questions, like, who will be the candidate on the Democratic ticket? Who will be their pick for vice president?

As of now, the answer to the first question seems to be Kamala Harris, who received the support of the president and several prominent democrats. It's still too early to call for certain, and Glenn doesn't think it's likely, but assuming Kamala becomes the Democrat nominee, who will her VP pick be? There are endless possible options, but there are a 5 big names that could prove beneficial to Harris' campaign:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

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Governor Newsom has spiked in popularity within his party since his taking office in 2019 due to his scathing criticisms of President Trump and other Republicans. Newsom has been a popular contender as a possible Biden replacement, and a future presidential bid seems likely.

His widespread recognition may be a boon to Kamala's ticket, but the California governor comes with a dark side. Newsom was famously nearly recalled as Governor in 2021, hanging on to his office by a narrow margin. He also faced criticism for his hypocrisy during the COVID lockdowns, attending large gatherings while the rest of his state was locked inside. There's also the issue that both Newsom and Kamala are from California, meaning that if they were to appear on the same ticket, that ticket would lack geographical balance and would potentially lead to a Constitutional issue that would force the duo to forfeit all 54 of the states' Electoral College votes.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

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Another prominent Democrat Governor, Josh Shapiro has also been floated as a potential VP pick. Governor Shapiro has become a viable pick due to his well-received performance as Pennslyvania's Governor. The governor has good support within the swing state due to his handling of the I-95 bridge collapse, the train derailment in East Palestine, which had effects on his state, and the assassination attempt on the former president last week. Shapiro would bring much-needed support from the swing state if he was put on the ticket.

That being said, Shapiro has little time to build nationwide name recognition before the DNC in August and the November election. This would be Shapiro's debut on the national stage, and he would find himself in the most unforgiving situation possible.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg

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Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and opponent of Biden during the 2020 Democratic primaries, "Mayor Pete's" name recognition might be what Kamala needs on her presidential ticket. Buttigieg rose to popularity during the 2020 election due to his youth and status as "openly gay." Buttigieg has served as the Secretary of Transportation during the Biden administration for the past four years and has formally endorsed Harris.

Nevertheless, Buttigieg has some dark spots on his resume. The East Palestine train derailment disaster has besmirched his reputation as Secretary of Transportation. And while his youth may work in his favor when compared to the other elderly members of our federal government, it also means Buttigieg lacks the experience and prestige that other politicians enjoy.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

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Yet another governor of a crucial swing state, Whitmer was elected in 2018, two years after President Trump was elected, helping secure the state for the Democrats. Whitmer is known for her strong opposition to Trump, both during his presidency and his reelection campaign. Whitmer serves as co-chair for the Biden-Harris campaign and as vice chairperson of the DNC, which gives her influence over the Democratic party, something that would come in handy as a Vice President. Gov. Whitmer also established the Fight Like Hell PAC, which is dedicated to helping Democrats get elected and to stopping Trump by any means.

On the other hand, in a statement following Biden's resignation from the election, Governor Whitmer stated that her role “will remain the same.” It is also worth noting that if she were to be chosen as Kamala's VP, that would make their ticket all-female, which may foster some "woke points," but is politically risky.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

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Andy Bashear has seemingly beaten the odds twice, having been elected and reelected as the Governor of Kentucky, despite the deep-red nature of the state. Beshear, who has moderate tendencies, would be a boon to the Harris campaign as he has a track record of reaching rural, typically conservative regions where Democrats tend to struggle. He is also known for his propensity to talk about his Christian faith and willingness to work with Republicans, which are traits that might help win over moderates.

But, like Gov. Shapiro, Bashear has very little time to whip up national support and recognition. He also is unlikely to be very much help for the Harris campaign in winning over important swing states.

Five times Glenn had J.D. Vance on his show and where he stands on key issues

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We finally have an answer to the long-awaited question of who Trump will pick for his running mate, and it's none other than Ohio Senator and friend of the show, J.D. Vance. At the RNC in Milwaukee, Trump officially accepted the party's nomination as the Republican candidate and announced J.D. Vance as his running mate.

Glenn has had Senator Vance on the show several times to discuss everything from DEI to the Southern Border. If you are looking to familiarize yourself with the next potential Vice President, look no further, here are five conversations Glenn had with Trump's VP pick:

Why Biden Won't Stop "Racist" Government DEI Programs, But Trump Would

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Could THIS new Senate bill DOOM a Trump presidency?

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