F**king Mondays: Goodbye Chandler, Dr Joe Rogan, And Trump Is Still A Very Stable Genius

Welcome to another edition of “F**king Mondays”, The Banter’s trademark column to start your week off!:

Dr. Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan was one of the leading sources of vaccine misinformation during the peak of the Covid pandemic, using his huge podcast to platform discredited scientists and conspiracy theorists. It is likely his show led to the deaths of thousands of people, forcing to his podcasting partner Spotify rolling out Covid information tabs on all podcasts mentioning the coronavirus.

Having learned absolutely nothing from the considerable pushback he received from fellow artists and friends, Rogan is at it again, spreading his trademark bro science to his fawning audience of Alt conspiracy theorists and supplement junkies.

“I can't deal with this anymore, I can't perform because they were locking everybody down for like a year and a half,” Rogan told his guest, UFC veteran Dan Henderson about his decision to move to Texas from California. “They wouldn't let anybody do shows, they wouldn't even let them do shows in the parking lot of The Comedy Store. It was the whole thing was so crazy, it didn't make any sense, and out here we were doing full shows indoors.”

Rogan of course knew just what to do during an outbreak of a novel coronavirus that was killing hundreds of thousands of people a week.

“You just need to get vitamin D and everybody needs to start drinking water and exercising and losing weight and, uh, here's some ways to boost your immune system instead of everybody has to stay indoors,” he claimed.

“I was one month in, I was like, "What the fuck is going on?" I can't,” he went on. “I started looking in May of 2020 because I was like, "These fuckers are never going to let this go. They're never going to let this go." They keep ramping up all the new regulations and ramping up what can be closed. They shut out outdoor dining which made no fucking sense, right? None of it made any sense.”

So Rogan moved to the Lone Star State , where his kids could roam unmasked, he could perform in front of packed audiences, and people died of Covid at a higher rate than almost anywhere else in the nation.

Worldwide antisemitism

The virus of antisemitism continues to spread. From the New York Times:

The authorities in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan moved to restore order early Monday morning after hundreds of young men stormed the local airport, running around the tarmac from one airplane to another searching for people who had arrived on a commercial flight from Tel Aviv.

At least 20 people were injured in the riot on Sunday, and dozens of people were arrested. The government in the predominantly Muslim republic said that the outburst had been calmed and vowed to prevent further clashes. Russian aviation authorities said that the airport, in Makhachkala, the republic’s capital, would reopen on Tuesday.

But the riot shocked Jews in Russia and beyond and highlighted the challenges that the Kremlin faces in managing the various parts of its vast multiethnic and multireligious country.

Antisemitic hate crimes are up 1350% in London, while Jewish colleges students in America are being threatened with extreme violence.

Regardless of what you might think about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, Jews around the world should not pay a price for the actions of the Israeli government. This same logic applies to Muslims around the world who have nothing to do with Hamas or its murderous ideology. Why is this so hard to understand?

RIP Matthew Perry

Some extremely sad news over the weekend. Iconic ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry was found dead in his hot tub on Saturday. The cause of death is still unknown, but the beloved Perry had struggled immensely with alcohol and a painkiller addiction, apparently taking up to 55 vicodins at one point.

I wasn’t a diehard fan of the show, but I do remember several happy ‘Friends’ marathons on Christmas with my family. Perry — at least for me — was undoubtedly the real star of the show, a supremely naturally gifted actor with impeccable timing and comedic dexterity that set him apart from the others. Perry’s character Chandler Bing also displayed a sensitiveness that endeared him to millions. While Perry went far too soon, he left a legacy few actors will ever match.

Mike Pence is out

No doubt looking to spend more time with “Mother”, former Vice President Mike Pence is officially out of the 2024 election race. Via the AP:

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls.

“It’s become clear to me: This is not my time,” Pence said at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual gathering in Las Vegas. “So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”

“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets.”

A hot tip for future presidential candidates: it’s not a great idea to run in a party that has previously pledged to hang you.

Still a very stable genius

As deadly conflicts proliferate around the world, the need for great statesmen and women is more pressing than ever. President Biden has proven himself to be a master of international affairs, deftly managing two of the most complex conflicts in modern history while reviving the Liberal International Order and America’s standing in the world. Contrast that with former president Trump’s genius level understanding of geopolitics. Via Politico:

Less than a week after the former U.S. president confused Hungary and Turkey — calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán the leader of Turkey — Trump got Hungary’s borders all wrong.

“Did anybody ever hear of Viktor Orbán? He’s the head of Hungary. Hungary fronts on both Ukraine and Russia,” Trump said on Sunday during a rally in Sioux City, Iowa.

While this time Trump did match the leader to the correct country, Hungary does not border Russia. The countries are about 1,000 kilometers apart at their closest point.

This is extremely reassuring and a sign Americans should put him back in charge of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.

See you next week!

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