Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You're listening to American Power. I'm your host, Nat Towson, speechwriter, comedy writer, stand-up comedian, and most likely to put me in heaven, podcast host. I'm joined, as always, by our panel of experts, our foreign policy and military expert, Chad Scott. Chad, how's it going?
Going good. Got my reflecting pool blue on, if you guys are watching on YouTube.
I know it's Boise State. That's looking too blue to me.
Yeah, it's a bit too blue. It's not. I mean, now it's green if I had the green on.
But yeah, you got to get some lichen on that shirt, my friend. Exactly. Exactly. Also joining us, as always, your expert on energy of all forms.
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Chapter 2: What insights did Matt share from his Senate energy committee appearance?
You know, Mr. Global, please say hello if you're listening out loud to no one because they won't hear you. To Mr. Global, Matt Randall.
Glad to have lost my temporary swamp creature status.
We've got a lot of exciting stuff to talk about this week. We have a new Iran deal that may or may not be a deal. We have a lot of updates on the electoral cycle, but I want to start with Mr. Global goes to Washington. Our very own Matt Randolph recently sat in with the Senate subcommittee on energy, and I'd love to hear more about how your trip to Washington went.
Oh, it was just great. It was it was so great. Like within 20 minutes of me walking out of that building, I was headed to Pittsburgh.
So to be clear, the highlight was leaving.
I had to exit the swamp. I had to get out of town. I just couldn't stand being there.
And when you swamp, you mean bureaucracy or the algae in the reflecting pool?
Yeah, I didn't go to the reflecting pool. I was like, they're arresting people down there. I'm not even going down there. Someone might recognize me.
You didn't want to sit?
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Chapter 3: How does energy affordability impact everyday Americans?
So how did you get invited to this thing? Like, did you just get like an email or something or just someone reach out to you?
The senators, Senator Martin Heinrich, who, by the way. wants to join us here sometime in the future. Yeah. And it's important to note, he asked, I didn't ask, he asked. That's a big thing. That's a, yeah. No, seriously. One of his staffers emailed me and asked me if I would come. He follows me on a few different social media apps, I think. So that's how that happened.
And what specifically was this committee about?
This particular thing was about energy affordability. There was a lot about gas prices, but it was really just about energy affordability for everyone, how it's impacting Americans.
You had some really cool conversations. You took it from an angle that I've never seen anyone really give to Congress, this idea of... Energy should be draped in humanity and not profits. That's like a direct quote from you. I was like, that's such a great quote. Like, just from your perspective, how do you see that being more of the reality? How do we make that a reality?
How do we say how do we focus on the humanity of energy rather than the profits of these companies? Because I think you had some really good points there that our audience should know if they didn't watch your hearing.
Yeah.
Yeah, well, you know, everything is so expensive these days. Everything, right? And I've always... I've always felt like, and I've said this here before, the things that are absolutely necessary just for us to survive should have, there should be some barrier between us and corporate irresponsibility that shields us.
The things that are necessary to just continue to breathe shouldn't be treated like everything else.
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Chapter 4: What unique perspective did Matt bring to the Senate about energy and humanity?
And to me, an energy policy that's draped in humanity is one that actually thinks about the people and not the corporations and not the billionaires. And how do we do that? And under our system, which is obviously capitalism, right? How do we do that? And the best way to do that is to be supportive of all forms of energy.
and be supportive of progress in the energy space and investing in future type energies and doing everything we can towards that end, that'll drive down price. A lot of people think that I now want some communist or socialist type energy system. I wasn't saying that at all. I was saying, how about a little consideration for the people every once in a while?
Because to me, a lot of it is in the messaging. We want the government and the media wants us to celebrate the fact that we're the number one oil producer in the world. Why would we celebrate something that does not benefit us in any way, shape or form? If you're not a shareholder or if you're not in that industry, it does not benefit you at all.
It does us no good to be the number one oil producer if you're going out here and paying four or five bucks for a gallon of gas. I was paying less for that when we were the number three oil producer. So who cares that we're the number one oil producer? And it's not us. It's the companies.
So there's this sort of language in our country where we are often expected to celebrate the success of huge corporations who have. no interest at all in benefiting us. And that's the system we live under, whatever. So how do we manage this under that system where it actually benefits us some? That's all I was talking about.
Yeah, it's so fascinating because it's not just energy that is like that. I personally think objectively, having lived in Europe, having lived in the United States, that we have the best medical care, but we have one of the worst healthcare systems. And it's so fascinating because how is it that we are so wealthy, so advanced in our medical care with such amazing stuff?
And our healthcare is just so garbage. And you see that across so many industries, whether it's energy, whether it's the healthcare industry, whether it's just basic decency of keeping people off the streets. Richest country in the history of the world.
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Chapter 5: How does the current energy policy reflect corporate interests over public needs?
And we have just rampant problems. And again, I just don't think it's a situation where we should be like... completely communist or socialist, but man, we just are not headed in the right direction when we have Elon Musk worth a trillion dollars now. And there are tens of thousands of people that just, they can't even eat or can't even get a house. That's just wild to me.
And personally, I think that's what the, that's what the kind of the underbelly of revolutions, that's where that starts. So it was just, it was just kind of fast because it's just not energy as well. And then I think I just had a question. Oh, no, go ahead.
I just say to the points that you're both making, just that, like, I feel like America adopted these ideas somewhat under Reagan of like the free market will decide and ultimately do what's best for everyone. And we are like decades into understanding that that simply isn't true. It's not true with health care. It's not true with the climate. It's not true with energy.
I mean, our energy is wasteful. Like being the biggest oil producer is awful for the world. I understand that oil is still functional for ship funk needed for shipping and all these things. But it's not something to brag about when we should be in the middle of a green energy transition. It's also not cheaper for us as a result. And so the free market hasn't solved that.
It hasn't solved our air quality issues and it hasn't solved health care. So, yeah, the humanitarian approach. I mean, how do we do it under this system? I think part of it is changing the system. Part of it is the messaging. I know everyone wants these carve outs where we go. I don't want to be a socialist. I don't want to be a communist. And I'm like, well, this system is.
exponentially worsening.
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of the new Iran deal on U.S. foreign policy?
Like the gap between the poorest and richest Americans or the gap between the 10 richest Americans and everyone else. It's not just getting bigger. It's getting bigger faster every day. That's how we get trillionaires. And I'm sorry, Chad, what were you about to say?
Exactly.
Well, I was just going to I was going to ask him if because we saw what he said. I watched a lot of what you said because that kind of stuff is fascinating to me. I'm just such a dork in that way. But when the cameras shut off, were you able to talk to them at all? Can you give us like a like a what you can say behind the scenes?
Was there anything they wanted to talk to you at all about without the cameras being on and the mics being on? Or was it just camera shut off, hearing over and you guys went your separate ways?
It pretty much shut off. The only thing that they talked to me about when it was over was the senator wanting to collaborate with me somehow. Because he had to leave early to go to a vote. And so one of his staffers came up and apologized to me that he had to leave because he wanted to speak to me about something.
And she said, would you be interested in collaborating him, like doing some kind of live interview? And I said, you know, I think it'd be better if he just came on the podcast, you know, because – and so – but I did – you know, when I was speaking, some of those people were looking at me like, this is different. Like, we haven't – People don't come in these rooms and talk like this.
And from my perspective, I was like, this senator invited me here based on my views and the things he's heard me say. And I'm not going to stray from that. Like I, you know, I didn't pull any punches, you know. Well, that's what's needed. So when the senator says, you know, Mr. Randolph, we're the number one oil producer in the world. Can you explain why our gas prices are where they are?
My response is the United States doesn't produce a drop of oil. big billion dollar corporations do. And that is not an answer that they likely would have gotten from anyone but me in that room because people talk differently and act differently when they're surrounded by people like that.
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Chapter 7: How does the Iran deal compare to previous agreements?
I don't. I don't care who you are. I'm not intimidated by anybody. I could be standing next to Chad Scott or I could be standing next to Michael Jackson. It wouldn't make any difference to me.
They're both people. You wouldn't be surprised he was alive. Come on. That would be weird. That one would give you pause.
It's the hologram. I'm just saying, like, I'm not starstruck and I'm not intimidated by power. Like, none of that. Nor should you be. Those people work for us. Right. That's how I view it. And another thing, I felt like an idiot because the woman to my right was Claudia Shum. And I didn't know who Claudia Shum was. She's like this world-famous economist that's like,
respected by like a lot of people. And I'm like, I didn't even know who she was. And I felt pretty bad about that later. Cause I don't follow economists, but, um, yeah, there was some pretty, there was some pretty powerful people. There was more media people in that room than anybody though. There was the, what you didn't see off camera was the media, uh,
I don't know what they call them, like the gaggle or whatever. There was just reporters and cameras and stuff. And, but no, I mean, everyone was super nice, super friendly.
Um,
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Chapter 8: What are the risks of the U.S. appearing weak in international relations?
I think it's interesting because we've talked to Democratic legislators before, and I have many times in my personal experience as an activist and speechwriter. And I think I used to assume a lot more malice, which is not I don't forgive people. And I think some people are fully aware of the harm that they're causing and the disingenuous messaging that they're putting out there.
So I don't forgive anyone. But one thing that I've become more aware of is the degree to which establishment Democrats are only hearing DNC operatives all the time. And they are they you know, it's like why you can't get through to them about Palestine, where it's like the only young people they know are people who've wanted to work for the Democratic Party since birth.
And the only people they're listening to are operatives and strategists who work for think tanks. And it's like they don't they're not used to hearing you say things like Well, specifically because they've accepted a set of foregone conclusions, such as we need the oil industry, such as, you know, these fluctuations in the market are OK as long as the corporations are turning a profit. And
when you just kind of accept that as the flatline of your reasoning, or not accept it, but when all of the reasoning that you're hearing has pre-accepted these foregone conclusions that are not necessarily true, but they are part of this ideology, you don't even think That people think about that.
And, you know, obviously, I think these people need to be more in touch, but it's so good that you're able to speak to them clear headedly, because I do think that within the Democratic Party, within the DNC, intentionally or otherwise, they end up repeating these archaic points that don't really represent the will of the people who they work for.
I will commend the Democratic Party for moving late. They are moving late. So I will say that the GOP were the first few decades because because we've seen, unfortunately, like, let's be honest, the bro podcast realm was a big part of getting Trump reelected. The Rogans and all the different comedians that decided they were going to suddenly become experts in everything.
And then they drove this this. narrative that now they're very much against like it's it's very interesting watching them kind of come to this realization that they've made a mistake with donald trump including rogan and including bro podcasters who are now backpedaling and claiming it was just a joke and they never actually endorsed him yeah you had him on your podcast theo but you know Yeah.
And so what's interesting, though, is I give the Democrats credit. They're late, but they are starting to. And that's why we are getting interest from Adam Smith said. And he to his credit, after you push back on him that last after our podcast with him and the listeners don't know this, he reached out to you and you had a conversation with him. So I think they're getting more attuned.
Yeah, we're getting more in tune. They're more in tune to the alternative media as a force, whether it's the TikTokers and the podcasters. Again, they were late and they have to play catch up. I think they didn't take us as serious as what the traditional media is.
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