Ep. 165 - Milwaukee Burns, The Left Celebrates

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Ben Shapiro’s condemnation of the Milwaukee riots after a black officer shot an armed black suspect, arguing the unrest is fueled by left-wing narratives that portray American institutions as inherently racist. He links this to broader criticism of Obama, Democrats, and media reactions, then pivots to Trump campaign chaos, Hillary Clinton corruption, and lighter culture-war segments on TV, comedy, and media hypocrisy.

Main Topics: Milwaukee riots and police shooting (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues the unrest following a justified shooting by a black officer was misframed as racist police violence, and that rioters targeted businesses, cars, white pedestrians, and police under a false racial narrative. Left-wing narratives, race, and crime (Priority: 5/5): He contends Democrats and activists teach that America is systemically evil, which encourages rioting and makes police the enemy rather than a stabilizing force. Hillary Clinton corruption and election dynamics (Priority: 4/5): The discussion claims Clinton's corruption is already familiar to voters, so it has less electoral impact than newer scandals, while Trump’s campaign is self-damaging and unfocused. Good Trump, Bad Trump / campaign criticism (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro says Trump helps himself by attacking media bias but hurts himself through erratic tweeting, poor organization, and incompetent surrogates. Media, culture, and moral decline (Priority: 3/5): The episode attacks media framing and entertainment trends, including sexualizing children’s characters and praising a president as a cultural tastemaker while he neglects governance. TV and pop-culture commentary (Priority: 3/5): Shapiro praises The People v. O.J. Simpson as effective drama, condemns Larry Wilmore and Trevor Noah as unfunny, and criticizes a new Fox show about a female MLB pitcher as biologically implausible. Subprime lending and John Oliver (Priority: 2/5): He criticizes John Oliver’s subprime-car-loan satire for ignoring borrower responsibility and contrasting it with left-wing complaints about access to housing credit.

Key Arguments: The Milwaukee unrest is portrayed as irrational violence driven by ideology, not evidence, because the shooting involved an armed suspect and a black officer. Left-wing politics allegedly teach minorities that institutions are irredeemably racist, turning police and businesses into legitimate targets. Republican-led messaging supposedly emphasizes personal responsibility and law enforcement, which Shapiro says better prevents riots and crime. Hillary Clinton’s corruption is not electorally devastating because voters already know it; only newer revelations, like Benghazi-related deceit, meaningfully change perceptions. Trump’s biggest problem is self-inflicted: he adds new negative information about himself instead of staying disciplined and exposing new information about Clinton. Media and entertainers are accused of exploiting race, sex, and innocence for ideological ends rather than informing or entertaining honestly. The country’s debates over loans, crime, and policing are distorted when accountability is replaced by structural blame.

Data Points: Republican mayor in Milwaukee: None since April 1960 - Used to argue the city’s problems cannot be blamed on Republicans or Trump. Milwaukee murders increase since 2014: 70% spike - Cited as evidence crime worsened as policing and social conditions deteriorated. Milwaukee murder level since 1993: Highest since 1993 - Used to suggest rising violence after the riot. Trump campaign office in Florida: 1 office with 4 employees - Used as evidence of weak campaign organization. Young voter support for Trump: 20% - Cited to show Trump is underperforming among younger voters. College-educated white women margin: 27 points underwater - Used to illustrate Trump’s weakness with a key demographic. Polling lead in Wisconsin for Clinton: 9.4% - Listed among state-level polling averages. Polling lead in Pennsylvania for Clinton: 9.2% - Listed among state-level polling averages. Polling lead in Colorado for Clinton: 11% - Listed among state-level polling averages. Fastest recorded woman’s baseball pitch: 69 mph - Used in the critique of a TV drama about a woman pitching in MLB. Average MLB pitcher speed: 93+ mph - Used to argue the TV premise is biologically unrealistic. Men slower than average woman pitcher: 3 out of 1,000 - Cited from The Sports Gene to support the athleticism argument.

Pivotal Quotes: "Stop trying to fix the police, fix the ghetto." — David Clarke: Used by Shapiro as the central diagnosis for crime and unrest in Milwaukee. "If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I'd be beating Hillary by 20." — Donald Trump: Quoted during Shapiro’s critique of Trump’s self-defeating media attacks. "We cannot cohabit with white people. One of us have to go. Black or white. We all gotta go." — Milwaukee rioter: Used to illustrate the racial hostility Shapiro says fuels the unrest.

Implications: Shapiro’s message is that ideological blame can worsen violence, crime, and political polarization. He warns that weak institutions, media bias, and candidate incompetence will keep distorting public debate and damaging conservatism if not confronted.