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Democrats Begin Pandemic Convention

On today's episode of Fault Lines, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jamarl Thomas discussed the news of the day and also discussed whether the Democrats deserve to lose the election in 2020, relations between the US and China, and America's deepening political divide.
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GUESTS

Ian Goodrum - Senior Editor and Columnist at China Daily | Myths About China

John Wood, Jr. - Former Nominee for Congress, contributor at Quillette Magazine and a national ambassador for Braver Angels | America’s Political Divide Grows

Tom Luongo - Geopolitical Analyst & Publisher of the Gold Goats 'n Guns Newsletter | Defining Political Terms Clearly

In Jamarl's first hour monologue, he criticized Bernie Sanders for saying that he would push for Medicare for All the day after Joe Biden was elected, arguing that Sanders was giving up any leverage he had. Then the hosts talked to Ian Goodrum and discussed the latest developments in the crumbling relationship between the United States and China. They talked about the contrasting ways that the Chinese and United States governments have handled the COVID-19 pandemic and pointed out that China's numbers have significantly dwindled, allowing the opening of movie theaters and other public recreation, while the United States’ numbers continue to skyrocket. He said he believes that the US media is trying to undercut China's work to develop a vaccine in case they develop it first. They also discussed President Trump's executive order on the tech company TikTok, and Ian said he believes that China may be hoping that Biden will get elected.

In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by John Wood, Jr., and they discussed the increasingly divisive rhetoric between the left and right in America. John said he is concerned that the tone has gone beyond simple political disagreement and into an atmosphere where both sides are unable to simply reason together and remember that our political opponents are also our fellow citizens. He also discussed his belief that many Americans have outsourced their own political thought to others, and suggested that digital tools, if utilized properly, could be a way for people to have a meaningful dialogue about policy in traditional political circles.

In the third hour, the hosts were joined by Tom Luongo, and they discussed his views as a libertarian on the current state of the political debate in America. Tom said he believes it is more important than ever to define certain political terms properly and suggested that America is largely ruled by what he would term as fascists on both the left and right. Tom said it is difficult for him to focus much on political minutia when he sees so many long-term and large structural problems in both politics and the economy. Tom also discussed the reasons behind the recent spike in the price of gold and said that it is nearly breeding season for the goats that he raises.

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