Ep. 1372 - Biden: Ignore The Law, Obey Me

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Ben Shapiro argues the Biden administration is overreaching on vaccine mandates, fueling inflation and energy shortages, and boxing itself into bad policy and messaging. He criticizes pandemic fear, support for Build Back Better, gas-pipeline politics, and claims about systemic racism, while praising the launch of University of Austin as a corrective to ideological higher education.

Main Topics: Biden vaccine mandate and constitutional conflict (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro says the OSHA vaccine mandate is unconstitutional, was halted by courts, and yet the White House is still urging businesses to comply. He frames this as an authoritarian attempt to bypass judicial review and force private actors to impose federal policy. Pandemic fear, workforce distortions, and mandates for children (Priority: 5/5): He argues COVID is now manageable with vaccines and therapeutics, but media and government messaging keep people fearful and out of the workforce. He also criticizes pressure to vaccinate young children, especially those with prior infection, as scientifically and politically overextended. Inflation, spending, and political backlash (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro links rising Social Security payments, continued deficit spending, and Build Back Better to high inflation and voter anger. He claims Democrats misread the public mood after election losses and still refuse to moderate. Gas prices, climate policy, and the Line 5 pipeline (Priority: 4/5): He says Biden’s anti-fossil-fuel agenda is worsening energy costs, including consideration of shutting down Michigan’s Line 5 pipeline. He portrays the administration as trapped between environmental activists and voters facing rising fuel and propane prices. Elite detachment and flawed policy narratives (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro criticizes figures like Pete Buttigieg and Barack Obama for using ideological frameworks—such as racist highways and climate justice—while being disconnected from ordinary Americans who bear the costs. Higher education as a broken institution and University of Austin (Priority: 5/5): He praises the new University of Austin as a market-based alternative to ideologically rigid universities, arguing many degrees do not pay off and campuses suppress dissent.

Key Arguments: The vaccine mandate is legally vulnerable because courts have already found grave constitutional issues, yet the administration still urges compliance before judicial resolution. Biden is using emergency powers and delayed enforcement to force businesses to act now while claiming there is no immediate harm until January. COVID policy has become a political trap: the administration promised to end COVID, but cannot end an endemic disease, so it keeps escalating restrictions and blame. The Biden team is prolonging fear and discouraging work by overstating COVID risk despite vaccines and emerging therapeutics. The labor market issues are partly self-inflicted: federal unemployment ended, but pandemic panic and remote-work expectations still keep some people out of the workforce. Build Back Better is too costly, unpopular, and inflationary; Democrats are ignoring public concern and doubling down anyway. Energy policy is driving up gas and propane prices, while the administration simultaneously pursues anti-pipeline measures and claims it can help consumers. Claims about racist infrastructure are often overstated or based on misleading history; Shapiro argues the administration creates moral boxes it cannot escape. Many college degrees do not provide a positive return on investment, especially in humanities and soft fields, making university an overused and overpriced credentialing system. A new university focused on free inquiry is needed because existing campuses are ideologically captured and suppress dissent.

Data Points: Social Security benefit increase: almost 6% - January increase cited as evidence of inflation Highest Social Security increase in: 40 years - Used to argue inflation is severe Court action on vaccine mandate: 5th Circuit pause - Federal appeals court halted OSHA mandate Full vaccination deadline: January 4 - Employer mandate timeline Weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated workers: starting after January 4 - Private employer rule under the mandate Indoor masking for unvaccinated workers: December 5 - Workplace requirement under OSHA rule COVID deaths in U.S. children under 18: 10 to 20 healthy kids - Shapiro says across the pandemic total is very low Children ages 5 to 11 who had COVID by June 2021: 42% - CDC estimate cited in WSJ piece Children ages 5 to 11 with COVID by today: likely greater than 50% - Inference based on later spread Deaths among 28 million children ages 5 to 11: 94 - WSJ piece on vaccine risk-benefit Hospitalizations among 28 million children ages 5 to 11: 562 - WSJ piece on vaccine risk-benefit Pfizer child vaccine study size: 2,186 children - Used to discuss pediatric vaccine data Children developing COVID in Pfizer study: 16 unvaccinated vs 3 vaccinated - Trial result cited for efficacy Pfizer pediatric vaccine effectiveness against infection: 90.7% - Derived from trial comparison Observed adverse event rate in pediatric trial: about 11% - Side effects noted in study Fever after second dose in kids: about 6.5% - Pediatric trial side effects Job openings vs unemployed workers: more than 10 million openings vs 7.4 million unemployed - Labor market mismatch cited from Washington Post Workers preferring remote work on ZipRecruiter: 55% - Job seeker preference cited Margin shift in Virginia 2021: 12.1 points toward GOP - Election analysis showing Democratic losses Margin shift in New Jersey 2021: 13.3 points toward GOP - Election analysis showing Democratic losses Potential GOP House gain from similar shifts: 44 to 51 seats - Dave Wasserman estimate cited House seats picked up by GOP in 2010 midterms: 63 - Historical benchmark for large swing U.S. college debt: $1.7 trillion - Higher education cost crisis Negative-return bachelor's programs by enrollment: 28% - Preston Cooper/FR EOP analysis Negative-return bachelor's programs with full costs included: 37% - Broader estimate including subsidies and opportunity costs Cost increase for private college degree over 30 years: nearly doubled - University affordability critique Cost increase for public university degree over 30 years: nearly tripled - University affordability critique

Pivotal Quotes: "People should not wait. They should continue to move forward and make sure they're getting their workplace vaccinated." — Karen Jean-Pierre: White House response after federal appeals court paused Biden’s vaccine mandate "The rule in the United States is if you can get a vaccine, it is now up to you." — Ben Shapiro: Argument that vaccination should be voluntary in a free country "We have since been joined by many others... We can no longer wait for the cavalry, and so we must be the cavalry." — Pano Canelos: Announcement and mission of the new University of Austin

Implications: Listeners are being urged to view current Democratic policy as overreaching, inflationary, and ideologically driven. The segment predicts more legal fights, continued voter backlash, and growing demand for alternative institutions in education.