amipretty
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https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/jon-stewart-interviews-u-s-deputy-secretary-of-defense-kathleen-hicks-transcript
Apr 25, 2023 7:46 AM
amipretty
130989
2151
43
https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/jon-stewart-interviews-u-s-deputy-secretary-of-defense-kathleen-hicks-transcript
Znuss142718
“I’m willing to learn” I said it last time posted but very powerful to shut down someone being condescending
bear1cw
Oof it was any other business like a being a cashier if you got audited and failed your fired.
captainfakeypants
Kathleen Hicks? Are we sure she's not a Karen?
unfortunatelynotdeadyet
It’s not just his intellect and humor, it’s also his patience. She spoke to me like that, the interview would have been over pretty fuckin quick. Well done Jon.
laserfork
She was such an utter clown during this. Just an amazingly smarmy, incompetent bozo with seemingly zero self-awareness.
EnoobialCrane
Stewart for President!
MacFarlin1920
Audits are necessary otherwise stuff comes up missing or is unusable when you need it. Ask the Russians who thought that they had body armor...wrong. Weapons for troops and training...wrong. So audits where you actually count items are necessary. Is the cost inflated? Possibly and that is the real question. Should our troops be paid a living wage? Absolutely! Should those who have a military retirement be able to get Social Security too? Yes, put a cap on it but don't impoverish folks.
DangerTrain
This is cut up to the point where most of the context is absolutely lost and.
henofthewoods
Geez. I really hate when people in a debate start talking over others. If you ask a question and the person is answering..kindly shut the fuck up.
Sylphyyy
You can really see her getting wound up over having the worldview of "people deserve nothing" challenged with "well they pay taxes so I think that's wrong."
Kithkinlord
Kathleen: I don't think you know what a audit it. Jon: Educate me then. Kathleen: You have described exactly what an audit is.
DaHayHay
She really puts the defensive in deputy secretary of defense!
john306326
Does anyone have the full interview?
Figaronincheez
Stewart 2024
OriginalGlitterman
Jon Stewart for president, now that would probably be a good call
TwoForSpookin
She seems like a Saturday Night Live character
ciriausly
I thought it was a skit at first
DentuckyKerby
Played by Rachel Dratch
Peerlesssky
Do you understand how many times the Pentagon has failed its audit?
weave
I get some heavy Mouth of Sauron vibes off her
salunatics
ali4z
Violence is the foundation of debate, got it.
TheSilverSeraph
I think this clip nicely showed how he got his point across quite politely under the circumstances. Even more telling is the context of this exchange: "Dr. Kathleen Hicks (39:54): Good journalism does uncover corruption, but I’m not sure these two things are linked... Jon Stewart (39:59): Oh, but they are." And then "Dr. Hicks (40:56): ...the fact that the DOD has not passed on audit is not suggestive of waste, fraud and abuse. That is completely false". Such BS spin
zaoo
I thought you were quoting bible verses at first with those timestamps :D
TheSilverSeraph
Today's reading will come from the Book of Jon Stewart (9:15) "The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom"
Cilvaa
She's a good pick for Dept of Defense, because she's getting really fucking defensive!
jeffoncom
Not only did she claim he didn't know what an audit was, but when asked to explain it, she says it's "exactly what you just described." ... So... he DOES know what an audit is then?...
NSAgent
I think there is waste in the military and I agree with her that audits don’t identify waste. Audits don’t make judgements on how money was spent (how I would identify waste), just that it has been accounted for.
AeonQuasars
Audits are important though. They are to secure that you are working correctly under the right conditions. That you work they way you say you work. Are they tedious? Sure. But important? Absolutely.
MrSnafleburger
Now you know why Republicans want to get rid of Audits/Oversight, hint its NOT because they are doing things right.
ThePunishersVengefulBrother
As someone who gets audited a couple of times a year in my job:
AeonQuasars
Haha. I can relate as I work as QHSE manager, but mostly it's the quality reporting part and the housekeeping. HSE parts we take very serious.
Streiquer
This is chopped up and missing a lot of important context. The first minute addresses that and the point of the convo was that audits aren’t showing where all the money went…. Or there is clear corruption, so what’s the point of having them if no one is, pardon the pun, accountable. Watch the first minute here (6m video of the original 1hr 10m): https://youtu.be/50MusF365U0
AeonQuasars
Thanks. Watched it now. Horrible editing this small clip.
angryjeep
Even more detailed cpntext: "The Department of Defense failed its fifth audit in 2022, and couldn't account for more than 60% of its $3.5 trillion in assets.[55]" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Defense#Criticism
mspeel7212
It's funny coz she thinks she's the smart one here
mannabananarama
He is THE mensch of all mensches! Why in the name of all that is coherent, is he not our president? He supports soldiers, firemen, first responders, responsible gun control and pragmatic thought.
mannabananarama
It was mostly Rhetorical. Teddy Roosevelt could get through a primary in our current environment. We have NO chance of changing someone’s mind if we cannot restate their position in such a way that the agree with the description.
ReturnWinchester
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_State Plato basically called it way back when. Democracies don't pick who's best for the job, they pick who's best at claiming to be best fit for the job. You could have the potential to be the best Representative/Senator/President in history, but you'll never find out unless you can play the campaign-game and manage to get elected.
LiarLiarPantsUntier
Having great ideals in a pool of sharks is awesome. But you’re in a pool of sharks.
Sylphyyy
because if he becomes president he immediately becomes ineffective due to the GQP'S life goal of living in 2005 until they die. If we want an effective president we need a congress that's not going to nail their shoes to the ground and that requires us to stop caring if we get fired for taking a day off and vote on voting day.
yeager99
Not just food stamps but we have to use half ply toilet paper
KaleoM
We use that old school, John Wayne, TP around here; it's rough & tough, & don't take no shit off nodamnbody.
Kingstonboy
My toilet paper is so thin, it only has one side.
HenryLongfellowIII
Möbius bumwad.
Kingstonboy
Well played.
diesel01
A read of the transcript paints a different picture of their discussion. He is rightly angry and frustrated by the abysmal service veterans receive, and she’s trying to defend why they haven’t in 2years unfucked a mess 50+ yrs in the making while unable to say the system is part of the problem. And she’s right: failing an audit doesn’t mean there’s waste or corruption. It DOES mean you don’t know if there’s waste or corruption.
blainetog
That was my read as well. So many people are so ready to yell horrible words at anyone talking to Jon Stewart, regardless of context, and that's clearly not what Jon would want, especially here. Reading the full transcript, she comes across as totally reasonable, if a little evasive -- except for this one clip, where she was an ass. But then their conversation got right back on the rails and continued being reasonable. Now the question is, will she deliver on her promises? Time will tell.
TheJudgeHasItBackwards
I'd agree failing an audit isn't, per se, evidence of corruption or fraud. I'd disagree on the waste portion of it though. There has to be a group of people whose responsibility it is to manage the accounting of the DoD, and they're clearly failing, miserably and repeatedly. The fact that it hasn't gotten measurably better is evidence of waste at the very least.
LoonyBoBdammitwhotookmyname
People in the comments of this post are super fast to throw this lady under the bus but like you, I read the transcript and honestly it reads really well, like two people actually trying to understand each other and answer questions, which was honestly so satisfying and relieving to see.
SurplusCyborg
But she's ready to draw the goal posts at "We received everything we paid for." and call that a successful audit with would not fly in any other context. You can't get charged 10K for a coffee cup and claim it's all good because we found it in the cabinet. Hammering JS for not using this definition of audit is disingenuous.
diesel01
She acknowledges that failing multiple audits is bad and needs fixed. She disagrees that failing audits is evidence of fraud, corruption and/or waste.
DangerTrain
Anyone can say "that's bad and should be fixed" but actually making actions in that direction is an entirely different thing. She also seems to think an audit doesn't indicate... anything?
SurplusCyborg
Would it be reasonable to assume, in any scenario, there most likely is fraud in any system with that much money and that little oversight?
StevieTheAussie
Regardless of her obvious small-mindedness; she seems fucking awful to have an argument with.
heartlessninja6
Reminds me of my new coworkers.
theplantladyisabenevolentruler
This was a weird watch for me, bc she reminds me so much of my mom that I haven’t seen in 15 years, right down to the dismissive nervous-laugh, and my mom was terrrrible to argue with. The goalposts were always shifting, and she would just lie about what was real. So, very like this video, lol
LaughingInTheFaceOfDanger
Idonotkillpeoplethatismyleastfavoritethingtodo
She is probably a narcissist. She has the "I'm always right no matter what the truth is" attitude down and she doesn't even seem phased when getting called out. That much lack of conscience and moral seems to me like textbook phycho.
Idonotkillpeoplethatismyleastfavoritethingtodo
psycho
luxter7
Yeah crazy
MerriMod
It's a specific and extremely common "debate" tactic. Basically aim to insult or belittle - often on something completely irrelevant or topic-changing - because the average person's knee-jerk response is to defend themselves. It completely breaks one's chain of thought and puts them on the defensive, thus allowing the other person to distract, move goal posts, and not answer any relevant questions. Super shitty, but extremely common.
lewdev
"You don't know what you're talking about so I'm going to assume you don't know this thing most people don't know about and make you explain it to me."
B99Reactions
Somewhere else this is being posted as "Jon Stewart getting owned"
fake40nedeso
Aaaaaaand this is why she is in a top tier management position. Because she "can argue"…
MeatPopsicleMultiPass
These are the type to just try to talk over you when they realize they have nothing.
fake40nedeso
John reminds me of all my fellow engineers in IT who have to deal with that top-notch management style (uber alphas, much OP¹, wow). Only a few can stay calm, I don't … I'd implode. [¹ Gamer lingo]
Narwhilian
As a fellow engineer, talking to business bros is simultaneously the worst and best part of my week. I am normally the one who does it because I keep my cool (for the most part). Still is infuriating but also provides me with plenty of jokes and references when talking to my friends
Asadsadsadclown
I have to avoid those confrontations because they will try to get me fired to save face. As soon as someone goes into bad faith arguments or shit like this, I join them, and proceed to ruin them.
fake40nedeso
SoMuchPooPooSon
Bruh, you could've ended this sentence at "...awful."
StevieTheAussie
True.
HerrHat
I can work with awfull people if i have to but having an argument with a person who is awfull to have an argument with is a totally different thing.
ThatShiftyMonkey
Pigeons playing chess. You get absolutely nowhere.
Daskiel91
Mudwrestling with pigs, they drag you to their level and win by experience. That's why you stay level and calm, and lure the pig with treats to your half of the playing field, where you take them into a direction they didn't expect
ThatShiftyMonkey
I love when I can get the magats to accidently realize they support blue policies. Then the mental gymnastics as they try to justify why they vote aginst their own interests.
TalkingSnake
I love how he still gets these fuckers to talk to him. Like, his status is high enough that they say yes despite him having a soul and a spine.
pyroshen
Guarantee they all think they can "win"
texscot
Political appointees love to kiss the boss’s ass, and in a public forum is especially appealing… btw, Biden appointed her
TalkingSnake
Well, yeah. She’s all about status quo.
HumanCats
Their ego convinces them they'll be the one who finally destroys him.
BananaForKale99
This clip makes it seem much more adversarial than it was.
Ja5per
And a brain!
Fictionwelive
It's because he doesn't demean them in the conversation. He's trying to understand where they are coming from instead of immediately assuming they are a moron.
Myslepra
Oh they believe they are good people doing good things. I mean, most of us do the wrong things for the wrong reson while doing what we think is good, right? At least I do, mostly.
marteney1
And knowing full well he’s not going to just let them have a platform to hit their talking points like the “news” networks they normally hit.
JCBalance
They know he's idolized and they think they'll be the one to take him down.
DianNaoChong
The right watches this video and says Stewart got owned, that's how this works.
aCoolBreezeOnAHotSummerDay
I’d gamble that I could find more conservatives that agree with Stewart in this case than those who agree with that lady.
TalkingSnake
Or, they see her or some other dip shit flounder so bad that the Qight wingers think "well I'll do better"
TaxiGhoul
That's a good insight.
doublejubean
Having a soul and a spine is why he needs to be President. But also why he doesn’t want the job.
Laowai18
Only the true Messiah denies his divinity
transomware
The best person to be king is the person who doesn’t want it
TalkingSnake
And doesn't deserve the pain of it.
LeftRightThere
I’m pretty sure it’s their ego
SuperIncoherentRantingMan
"I'll be the one to knock him down a peg!" And another idiot gets schooled by a master.
jayman0123
They all think they're going to be the one to beat him
LeftRightThere
I watched the entire interview because someone posted the link. She made a few attempts to control the narrative with sarcasm and making him the focus, but his questioning was valid and not nearly as sensational as the clip suggests.
Idonotkillpeoplethatismyleastfavoritethingtodo
I watched it too. I love how he sticks to the question and breaks her down slowly by calling her out on her attempts to bullshit and gaslight.
HommeDeFeu
Well, let's be honest here. Republican voters are so dam dumb that you don't even have to answer the question, you can just side step it and go strait to your tag line. Their not used to actually having to answer the question. That's why she went on the attack and attempted to make him scared of talking about it.
texscot
She was appointed by Biden… which is Jon’s point- it’s all politicians who are in bed with the Defense/Industrial Complex and don’t give a shit who it injures/kills or how.
HommeDeFeu
And that's the really sad part. I get that she may be coming from a point of view of using aggression tactics when she feels threatened because She is a female in a male dominated profession. But at the same time I'm all for equal treatment, you give a bad attitude and talk down to someone then don't cry about when it gets turned against you.
HommeDeFeu
Not saying she did cry about it. My other thought is that there are a lot of democrats in politics that really aren't democrats. There's 5 currently serving democrats in Washington state that I'd love see out of a job.
ImJustSoFckingSickOfThisBllsht
I so desperately want a Stewart/Colbert ticket, and I think they've covered enough of it in their careers that it wouldn't be another "celebrity fiasco" - this clearly demonstrated as a reasonable expectation considering how well the Ukrainian President has performed despite his similar background in TV.
aCoolBreezeOnAHotSummerDay
As insane as it is that we’ve come to the point where we’re so desperate for good leadership that we’d consider Stewart/Colbert I have to agree w/ you. They seem to know the issues at least w/out relying on a teleprompter or speech writer which is more than I can say about 99% of other politicians. So hell yes, even though there’s a chance they roo are frauds (or good actors) I’d take a chance with them over Trump, Biden, Desantis or god forbid Kamala or any other establishment candidates
LoonyBoBdammitwhotookmyname
I feel it'd only win if it were not both of them combined. It'd need to be one of them and a career politician working together to be taken seriously by many decision making voters in both the primaries and the GE.
blindedTrickster
Have Stewart run under the Democratic party and have Colbert run under the Republican party with his old Colbert Report persona. Problem solved.
TalkingSnake
I love them both but you know this would end at least one marriage. I'd vote for either if the VP was vocally progressive law professor. The office requires the professional specificity of a legal expert not just charisma.
DozerTheLab
Well said, Jon Stewart and Elizabeth Warren are my dream ticket
TalkingSnake
Warren lost my respect when she turned on Sanders by order of the establishment. Back against the wall she falters.
Saker82
I kind of want to see him interview Jordan Peterson.
TalkingSnake
Jordan hasn’t even seen this comment yet and he’s already crying.
Saker82