Zach Lahn

That we shouldn't allow our farmers to be exploited or let hedge funds buy our homes.

That Iowa, being an Iowan and living in the state of Iowa means something significant.

And what it means is not about an economy.

It means something about culture and who we are as a people.

You know, one of the things that I've had to wrestle with in this whole process is coming away from this idea of like libertarian economic thinking, which was very pervasive when I was a kid, when I was growing up.

And that the only thing we should care about is what the market says is good.

The market will just determine it.

And I don't know how you could look back on what's happened to our country, to our culture, to the hollowing out of our communities.

I mean, look, even something as simple as, in these small towns, we've always had these country food stores.

Well, they're going out of business, and what's coming in?

Dollar General.

And who is the largest shareholder of Dollar General?

BlackRock.

So the money that used to circulate within my small community, because the owner of the grocery store, actually, I'm very thankful we do have a country foods, but Dollar General set up shop

200 yards away?

Well, my... Our communities are not there.

Our communities are struggling.

Like, really struggling.

And...

There's the idea that I talked about in the economic thinking.