Ep. 473 - The Media Love Them Some North Korea

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode blends polemics against media praise for North Korea, criticism of Trump’s response to Rob Porter allegations, mockery of Obama portraits, and outrage over the Trump budget’s projected deficits. Shapiro argues the press fawns over dictators while ignoring abuses, Republicans have abandoned fiscal restraint, and moral standards should be applied consistently to allegations and social taboos. He closes with foreign-policy concerns over Israel/Iran and a Federalist Paper discussion on the need for coercive federal power.

Main Topics: Media fawning over North Korea during the Olympics (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues major outlets romanticized Kim Jong-un’s sister and North Korea’s Olympic delegation while minimizing the regime’s atrocities and authoritarian nature. Trump, Rob Porter, and standards for allegations (Priority: 5/5): He criticizes Trump’s defense of Rob Porter, saying innocence claims do not erase credible allegations and that Trump’s stance is morally inconsistent with his own history. Obama portraits and cultural satire (Priority: 3/5): He mocks the Smithsonian’s portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama as bizarre, inaccurate, and emblematic of elite art-world pretension. Trump budget and Republican fiscal failure (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro condemns the administration’s $4.4 trillion budget and near-trillion-dollar deficits as proof Republicans have abandoned fiscal responsibility. Israel, Syria, and Iran escalation (Priority: 4/5): He warns that Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and the downing of an F-16 signal rising regional conflict driven by Iran’s military buildup. Federalist 15 and the need for federal coercive power (Priority: 3/5): He summarizes Hamilton’s case that the Articles of Confederacy failed because a government without enforcement power cannot function, while cautioning against excessive state power.

Key Arguments: The media’s trust problem comes less from Trump’s attacks than from their habit of glorifying authoritarian regimes that oppose him. North Korea is a brutal dictatorship, so sympathetic Olympic coverage of its delegation reflects moral inversion and political bias. Trump’s claim that allegations should be ignored until proven in court is inconsistent with his own behavior and with how citizens assess evidence in ordinary life. Consistent moral reasoning requires taking credible allegations seriously even without criminal conviction. Republicans promised spending restraint but now support massive deficits and expansive federal programs. Iran’s presence in Syria threatens Israel and regional stability, making the conflict a broader strategic issue. The Articles of Confederacy failed because law without enforcement is only advice; a government must have coercive capacity, but limited to protecting liberty and property.

Data Points: North Korean famine deaths (1994-1997): 350,000 to 3.4 million - Shapiro cites historical mass starvation under the North Korean regime. North Korea prison camp era: 1980s - He references concentration camps and torture/murder practices during that period. Trump budget size: $4.4 trillion - The administration’s proposed budget discussed in the episode. Projected deficit trend: Nearly $1 trillion per year - Shapiro says the plan implies close to a trillion-dollar deficit each year. Defense spending for 2019: $716 billion - Budget proposal includes higher defense spending to rebuild the military. Infrastructure funding request: $200 billion - Federal funds proposed for an infrastructure plan within a larger $1.5 trillion framework. Border security and immigration enforcement: $23 billion - Budget allocation mentioned for border and immigration enforcement. Veterans programs funding: $85.5 billion - Budget allocation cited in the proposal. Opioid epidemic funding: $13 billion over two years - Proposed spending to combat opioids. Economic growth assumptions: 2.3% to 3% to 3.2% - White House budget assumes GDP growth accelerates over the next two years. Deficit as share of GDP: 4.2% this year; 4.7% next year - Projected deficit levels despite assumed growth. Federal aid to North Korean escape efforts: About $400 per person - Shapiro mentions Liberty in North Korea as a charity helping defections. Liberty in North Korea rescue aid: About $400 helps one person escape - Repeated mention as a practical donation benchmark.

Pivotal Quotes: "The media have been under assault from President Trump, and the reason people don't trust the media is because the media have been ripped apart by the President of the United States." — Ben Shapiro: He rejects the idea that Trump alone caused distrust in the press, arguing media behavior is a major factor. "There is no recovery for someone falsely accused. Life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as due process?" — Donald Trump: Quoted by Shapiro while discussing Trump’s tweet on the Rob Porter allegations. "Government implies the power of making laws. It is essential to the idea of a law that it be attended with a sanction..." — Alexander Hamilton: Shapiro’s Federalist 15 segment explaining why the Articles of Confederacy failed.

Implications: The episode urges skepticism toward elite media narratives, insists on consistent moral standards for allegations and sexual misconduct, and warns that GOP fiscal credibility and Middle East stability are both deteriorating. It also reinforces Shapiro’s broader argument for limited but functional government power.