Jonathan V. Last

And I think that Democrats need to establish some deterrence

going forward and to assure, for the long-term good of America, assure regimes that have done that sort of calculus

That they they don't get to have it both ways.

They don't get to assume that a Democratic president will be favorable to them.

And so undercut Democrats and try to help the authoritarians who are trying to do away with liberal democracy in America.

And so, for instance, I have long thought that a Democratic president ought to make an example of Bukele.

And ought to come to power and say, you in El Salvador, we are going to do everything we can to make your life hard until this guy is gone.

Yeah.

Again, just talking out loud, Tim.

It's not not advocating.

I'm just asking.

Yeah.

Just from a game theory perspective, shouldn't Democrats take that approach to Israel and the Netanyahu regime?

Not that they're hostile to Israel, but they're hostile to the Netanyahu regime and say that America will go back to being allies with Israel when the government of Israel no longer attempts to curry favor with the authoritarian attempt that was ongoing in America.

I mean, that's America's position with NATO.

Like, if it's okay to take that position with NATO, that is currently the American policy towards NATO.

I want to sort of try to insulate myself a little bit.

Somebody in the comments from the live show where I said something like this said, oh, so, you know, Israel isn't a perfect democracy, but, you know, JVL, you're sounding like you hate Israel.

You know, isn't America imperfect, too?

And my response to that is...