Unburdened By What Has Been | GoodFellows 

This is the first election since 1978 that a person named Bush, Biden or Clinton was not on the ticket. The deficit went from $1 Trillion to $38 Trillion in that time. Americans want something different. "When you seek the truth, you have to leave the left." ---- Thomas Sowell

I watch this podcast every week it is released. As a conservative suffering from Biden policies, yet aware of the failures of Republican foreign policies, I have found myself increasingly frustrated by the commentary/ positions of H.R.McMaster. Just imagine what could have been accomplished domestically with the huge amount of money spent on foreign wars, including Ukraine.

I dont necessarily like Trump as a person, but his presidency was successful and he clearly has the ability to organize an effective and thoughtful team.

Please pray for America - she is lost.

Good luck, America. Watching from South Africa.

This podcast is really refreshing in this current political climate. Some really great minds

Big fan of the podcast but these guys are selling out a little too hard for Trump here

Been watching all the electoral college map video’s on RU-vid. Trump seems to be far ahead, despite the Kamila Harris buzz. And CNN and the other media are lying about her.

This past 30 days have been a hell of a year

I really appreciate the Hoover institute. Niall Ferguson is the first historian that I felt a genuine connection with that was not simply academic. And what to say about the economist extraordinaire, Mr. Cochran? His stable middle of the road and sometimes self deflating humor has taught me a more fluid way to look at not only finances but life in general. And, of course, the find general HR McMaster. His optimistic, never quit glass half full view of the world is also mixed with the reality and terrors that face our nation. Thank you all for your candidness on a variety of topics. I may not agree, even though there is in (R) on my voters registration. I certainly appreciate the perspectives given. With that said, I was very confused as to why the assassination attempt on candidate Donald Trump wasn’t examined very much. With a world, renowned historian, a very wise economist, and a bulldog for general did not cover the most significant topic that has happened in the last 40 years. On US soil, former President Donald Trump took a bullet for democracy. This is not me endorsing former president, but merely pointing out that for years the MSM and politicians alike, said that he was a threat to “our sacred democracy”. There have been people like Bill, Crystal, Jonah Goldberg, and all the never Trumper‘s referring him to hitlarian status. Four good Americans were wounded or killed for that so called “sacred democracy”. I mean no disrespect personally to these men that set up this conversation. But what happened to the former president was amazingly significant in all three of these men’s lives. It was significant, or should have been to Nila Ferguson. At least in the historical context. Professor Cochran as well. As economies have risen and fallen on the death of leaders. And the bulldog general, McMaster, despite any personal distain or dislike, he may have of the former president.

The Goodfellows keep making the mistake of taking politicians' rhetoric seriously. Deeds, not words. Did LTG McMaster evaluate his subordinate commanders on how well their units performed or on how well they briefed their annual training plan?

Reminds me of the Revolutionary Guards 1966 CCP. They wanted to erase thousands of years of culture and history. And implement their naive disastrous plans

Niall recently mentioned that Trump had some understanding of tariffs because he referenced McKinley's Tariff Act of 1890. That act was a disaster, as was the Tariff Act of 1828 and 1930 (Smoot-Hawley). Somehow, Niall feels if Trump can recite a few lines about tariffs, he is knowledgeable.

Thank you gentlemen. 🇺🇸

Great episode. Thank you for talking about these crucial issues such as the Noble Lie and the non-main stream rose colored glasses view of Harris.

Back in the 80s when I was and training to be a young army officer, every exercise which prepared us for Soviet invasion began with the phrase, “Following a period of rising tension….” We are in that period now, and the 80s seem relatively static and stable. Great show.

One of the most illuminating shows I have seen for a while, and thats saying something.

Favourite quote so far, from Cochrane 'You can tell. J.D. Vance is going to be a major figure in the Republican Party for decades.' Hahahahaha.

In the interest of fairness they should get at least 1 left leaning panel member to contrast the 4 right leaning members

This or the presidential debate….. What a pleasure listening to thinking articulate people, dare I say men

My economy is not doing quite well. I pay almost double for groceries. I'm still paying $4.11 for gas. My auto insurance went up, not down. My HOA goes up every year because costs rise yearly. Here in Raleigh NC housing prices are rising. Where the heck do these guys live? Here's what I can figure out for myself. When Biden came in and stopped drilling and emptied our oil reserves gas went to $6 a gallon from $2 a gallon. So now that it's down, everybody points to the drop and says "See? Things are getting better!" In reality I still have a 100% rise to contend with instead of a 200% increase. Oh joy!! I'm still getting screwed but now they're using lube!!!

How can such an esteemed group of scholars can pontificate about the Democratic Party threat to democracy, which I agree with to some extent after observing Lawfare, without calling Trump out for inciting the January 6 events in an attempt to remain in power. The peaceful transfer of power, along with the rule of law, are the fundamental building blocks of American democracy!

I have been waiting to hear from the GFs about recent events and this show did not disappoint, thank you very much for your insightful discussion.

It would be nice to occasionally have a voice from the centre or the left on the panel to sharpen the discussion. Great respect for the panel but it is completely on the right/Republican side (nothing wrong with that just that I think more clarity would be achieved with a diverse panel).

Love this show. Very informative discussion. Thanks guys.

LOL @ Cochrane begging Trump to be more articulate. Genuinely humorous on many levels.

I we’ll quickly find that Niall nailed it on the talking past each other prediction.

You have been a tremendous help in my understanding of the Republican ticket and esp J D Vance.

Would rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than hear KH's voice.

Normally a fan, but this episode is on the intellectual level of The View.

HR is in lala-land. Ukraine has no chance at recovering their lost territory without direct US involvement.

Excellent discussion, ideal chemistry runs through out the panel.

I'm a first timer and enjoy your show, Ill be back 😊. Columbia SC

Economically, the numbers for the average person have not come down. House, home repair and maintenance, food, clothing and transportation, education, healthcare and insurance are all either still going up or not going down. So, comparing to four years ago the basic costs of living, the necessities are all a lot higher. Just housing alone considering PITI costs are a big big deal. There is a disconnect from the wealthy, you guys included, looking at numbers and data and reality. Thomas Sowell well understood this disconnect in Knowledge and Decisions and his other writing and talks on the subject.

You guys were way more relaxed when Biden was still in the race. The level of nervousness I sense in your comments is gheting noticeable. Best regards from România. Alex

39:34 honestly the one thing that has repeated in my life is this: when someone accuses someone of something, it either is because the accuser is that which he accuses, or the accused is actually the opposite of the accusation.

"JD Vance is going to be a major figure in the Republican party for decades." Sometimes nothing happens in decades, sometimes decades happen in days" (Lenin) The recent days portend a reduced future for Vance.

The United States didn't have to have tariffs after WWII, we were the only man left standing as far as manufacturing. Germany, Japan, Britain, and France were all in ruins. The Bushes, McCain, and Romney were mistakes we need to forget as much of as we can.

I really respect these guys. But they come across to me as biased and not objective.

What is good about sky high prices. No one has progressed fiscally. It’s been very hard on the average American..

Good conversation. You guys have a good one for the remaining of your summer.

Thanks Niall for discussing the deep implications of the assassination attempt. No one else is talking about it.

This show calls it as it is. I commend each and every one of them for the wonderful discussion and the idea of producing an ¨Emergency" GoodFellows. The camaraderie shown with the knowledge presented individually and together sets the example of what we all should be doing. The issues are the key. Thank you John, H.R. Niall and Bill and the productions team for your efforts in its production.

Thank you thank you thank you for a most excellent and needed episode. I always enjoy hearing what you guys have to say but given the last few weeks…oy! I was hanging on every word, truly.

“We can debate who is a threat to democracy.” Trump: “Terminate the Constitution.” What’s the debate?

This kind of educated discussion from different perspectives is refreshing for me.

🤣🤣🤣 @ 35:35, Cochrane saying, "JD Vance is going to be a MAJOR figure in the Republican Party for decades to come." Wanna bet? I'll give you 10:1 odds.

Brilliant episode, they are quite back. Trump, or someone in his circle, should watch this and pay heed.

Suggestion for a future discussion: compare and contrast Trump & Biden policies - and their results. And then extend discussion into additional actions the Trump administration will need to (and benefit from) getting into place ASAP (e.g., reversing the weaponization of government agencies and the indoctrination of our youth)

An exceptionally good episode. Thank you.

In the “threat to democracy” discussion the “levers of power” were mentioned as critical: so what about messing with the electors ? You guys should discuss that. I just finished Robert Kagan’s book Rebellion. He would be a great guest to discuss Christian nationalism etc.

What a great title for this episode. Thanks again guys for your insights

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us

I remember that campaign so well. Bill was probably the best campaigner since Reagan in the last 50 years.

Well, at least now Kamala can see what she can be ... Unburdened by that has-been

At 16 minutes into this video and the discussion re Ukraine, why no mention of the devastating, ongoing Ukrainian casualties?

Regarding the near miss in Butler, I'll cite Bismarck: "There is a Providence who protects drunkards, idiots, and the United States of America."

"...what has been.." **points at Joe**. 😂

No matter which direction you look, this country is in trouble.

Thank you very much.

God this is so Iconic!

Economy bad because of 📈Fuel prices 📈Food prices 📈Home prices 📈Health Care Prices 📉Job Benefits Coverage Amount of time it takes to find new job Corporate greed Wages not keeping up with inflation

Excellent podcast.

Contrary to Niall's prognostication, third-party voting is becoming even less of a threat to upsetting the race. In December 2023 RFK, Jr. was polling around 13%, that dropped to 10% and is now 5% with the probability ending up around 3%+/-. The Doblehaters seemed to have substantially decreased and that portends benefits for Harris.

All four of you gentlemen seem amused by the suffering and turmoil in the USA. How callous!! Thank God for JD Vance! 🇺🇸

Russia will gain territory, and NATO/EU will gain territory, and as for the people who have lived on that territory since the collapse of the USSR?....they will have to decide which new landlord they'd rather pay taxes and rents to. Btw, the Mycenaeans practiced child-sacrifice.

This was a brilliant edition

John is correct. Is it possible for Trump to be "unTrump" and focus on the issues instead of personal invective? History teaches us that the answer is no. Will the Republican leadership, assuming their is one, force the issue and make him listen? No, probably not.

Enjoy their commentary, but these guys are a bit out of touch. Get Ann Applebaum on the show please.

Enjoyed the discussion guys.. Vigorous and insightful and varied opinions as always..

Economists focus on broad measures, but what matters to working people are the prices for food, fuel, housing - precisely the things where inflation has been hottest. You hit the working class and lower middle class in the wallet, they get grumpy right quick.

Does she mean unburdened FROM what has been? The way she's saying it is like the ultimate conservative mantra

Its great to hear Niall spin his endless pacifism/isolationism now as actually "Biden hasn't been tough enough on Russia and Trump will be and that's what I'm saying." He's wrong on every military question.

Kamala pronounced like Pamela😁😁

Orwellian doublespeak by great minds atrophied by the paradox of being kidnapped by the Hoover Institute’s salaries. I used to used love guys. Best to step aside now.

Ferguson asserts Kamela Harris has a “lackluster performance as a politician capable of winning votes.” However, Kamela Harris won the election in CA for Attorney General, then US Senator from CA, and then VPOTUS. Exactly what Ferguson implies by lackluster is clearly subjective and biased.

Thank you gentlemen. American politics understood immensely better. Otherwise difficult to keep up from Swedish media 🇸🇪.

Who called Trump a Hitler? JD…. JD something. The Goodfellows have swung away from fact based analysis to full partisanship 🤦🏻‍♂️

Great as always

With, Kamala, it's like herding cats around a birdbrain.

Great episode!

John I do not think production went to China because they were better at it. They were cheaper and that is all. Chinese made is pretty much synonymous with cheap crap. We went from having less that was well made to more that is all cheap crap. Pretty much anyone that works with their hands know it and the green push is just making things worse. Green means cheap often broken garbage to anyone in the repair and installation industries. Go talk with an appliance repair man for example. Any appliance with a circuit board in it is garbage, the metals are all paper thin on and on. Go look at the weight differences between older washers and dryer between and old one and new one. My poor mom has to hold her washer and dryer to prevent them from moving all over at certain cycles. They are way to light with cheap plastic feet. Once sitting between and dentist and a Northwestern BA M&A guy, I listened to them discuss how to repair washers and dryer from the 1980s they both owned. They both got it.

God speed, Good Fellows!

Have some opposition views and healthy debate.this is all one note .

What a sad day for America when we have a choice between a woke near socialism and a cult of personality leaning populism 😱 And trust me being from a former Soviet Union gives me a unique perspective in recognizing both.

The 19th Century Whig Party’s American System emphasized protective tariffs, federal subsidies for the construction of infrastructure and for institutions focused on useful and practical higher education. A modified 21st Century reboot of Whiggery might not the absolute optimal path forward at this time, but it would probably be a better than adequate option on which to build a balanced approach to internal and external needs.

Thank you

'Is J.D. Vance qualified to be Vice President of the United States?' 'Well, he's better qualified that Kamala Harris, let's put it that way', says Niall Ferguson. Not ageing terribly well, is it Niall?

Love John but he's wrong about what makes China so competitive at manufacturing. China would not be competitive absent all of its direct and indirect subsidies, currency manipulation, IP theft, and its myriad other forms of unfair competition. The same goes for Germany. Not til Germany put hard ceilings on its workers' wages did it become so competitive at manufacturing. Japan and South Korea likewise became competitive thru various means of subsidy, tariff and so on.

31:15 he magically got COVID, disappeared and then said "bye".

America's role in the world fundamentally changed in 1941, was cemented in 1945, and it persists as an indispensable nation today. The 19th century President argument from Nial is disappointing to say the least. HR's point on Trump's foreign policy with his hypothetical on Trump negotiating with Putin on Ukraine crystalizes Trump's danger to America's role in the world. Policy, norms, and long-term strategy (AKA - Principles) play zero part in Trump's thinking. For Trump, everything is a sales cycle. He wants the sizzle, flash, and the subsequent poll boost from his base, the commission check. This is why the most capable foreign leaders, Macron and Abe, realized that flattery (borderline sycophancy) works on Trump. He likes the attention. Any argument along the lines of "Trump's policies were/will be different than the rhetoric" fall flat because Trump does not calculate decisions based on anything other than his commission, how those who give him attention (his base) react. Sometimes the team at Goodfella' s (and I) like those decisions, but the mental gymnastics to paint this as a part of a coherent strategy... come on. Or as HR stated on January 7th, 2021, "The reasons for yesterday’s criminal assault on our Congress and election process are many. But foremost among them is the sad reality that President Trump and other officials have repeatedly compromised our principles in pursuit of partisan advantage and personal gain As a long time listener this episode was a bit disappointing, especially given the historical footnotes accumulated the past several weeks. In this episode the team seems to be circling the wagons around the GOP in the hope that this time it's different; when I think we all know that's not the case.

As usual informative.

“Terminate the Constitution.” I have heard enough.

Holding my breath ❤️

Agree that it's dubious whether Biden should even finish his term, but if we are being honest we must admit Trump is also well past his cognitive (and health) peak, and babbles almost as incoherently as Biden at times, as well as peppers his speeches with Malapropisms and mistakes. Really wish we get solid candidates from both parties.

I gotta say I respect you all but its always painful watching yall pretending trump has thoughts and ignoring his authoritarian tendencies. I hope he goes away so I can vote conservative someday.

It has been the longest two weeks known to man

How will ukraine losing more men & more land "help" ukraine

The Chinese will be unhappy if the Straits of Hormuz are closed.

Why is McMaster even on here. He is an obvious intellectual snail.