Why not vote 'no'? | Thomas Massie | Just Asking Questions - Ep. 2

Congressman Thomas Massie discusses his "no" votes on foreign aid, COVID relief, and labelling anti-Zionism antisemitism on episode two of "Just Asking Questions."
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Transcript available here: reason.com/podcast/2023/12/13...
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0:50 - Why does renewing Section 702 threaten Americans' privacy?
9:02 - Why does Massie oppose aid for Ukraine?
14:20 - Why did Massie vote against 19 pro-Israel resolutions?
18:10 - Is anti-Zionism antisemitism?
26:12 - What was it like being slammed by Donald Trump for opposing COVID bailouts?
30:08 - Does Congress have any remorse for bad COVID policy?
31:55 - Can we ever tame the national debt?

[@troll_kin9456]

"I refuse to monetize the debt" was a great line.

[@VeniVidiVid]

Thomas Massie is my absolute favorite congressman at this point. Not sure how a man of his intelligence and ethics was able to find his way into that snake pit, but I am very glad he has.

[@midwestribeye7820]

Yep! He's my favorite, too. With Rand Paul a close second. ❤

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

He's one of the best for sure, if Ron Paul was 100% libertarian Massie is at least 85%. I think the reason he got in was because back in the Tea party days there was a big movement and I'd even say a temporary cultural shift towards more libertarian and paleo conservative candidates, it happened in the early to mid 90s too but I think it was more pronounced in the 2006 to 2012 era, a lot of it was given energy from the finacial crisis and people being sick of the Irak war.

[@JasonCTillmann]

Thank you for all that you are doing, Thomas Masse! You have my deep appreciation ❤

[@kevinclause4p55p5]

Thomas massie protects our gun rights. Thank you sir.

[@tamarab8623]

The evil ones cannot blackmail or bribe this amazing hero. Great interview

[@libertatempugnator9643]

Dave Smith then Thomas massie? I think you guys have a winning formula here.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

Imagen if those two became president and vice president, things would turn around quick!

[@libertatempugnator9643]

@@hoppeanofasgard1365 barring and fed meddling lol. But yes I agree

[@Rickpa]

We need more like him! Many more!!!

[@authenticallysuperficial9874]

Keep up the series. Interesting to know we have one half decent congressman in this country.

[@juancuelloespinosa]

I love thomas massie's debt clock making an appearance 😆

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

If only Thomas Massie abandoned the authoritarian Republican Party like Ron Paul did. Despite this, these no votes and libertarian positions are commendable.

[@kennethrobinson7647]

What difference does it make? Both parties are authoritarian.

[@EverydayNormal]

2-for-2. Another great episode

[@acem82]

I would like to point out that Zach and Liz were a lot more cordial with Rep. Massie than they were with Dave Smith. Odd, because they have more in common with Dave Smith than with Massie. Whether that's due to him being in Congress, having less time, or simply because libertarians insist on arguing with each other, I'm not sure. (That all being said, these were still 2 good interviews and I want them to continue.)

[@tinticit]

There was a lot of bad blood between Reason and the Mises Caucus after the Reno convention that put the Mises Caucus in charge of the Libertarian Party. Reason saw the Mises people as ex-republican meme-lords that were going to hurt the libertarian message and Mises saw Reason as propping up the established ineffective party leadership that had diluted the libertarian message with moderate views to try to win elections. Turns out that both of these are true and they're slowly coming to terms that both camps need to make changes.

[@DavidWalden-en2vo]

Massie's presence and intellect inspires "hope!"

[@jrgilby]

Wow, such respect for this Congressman, he's a polymath compared to his colleagues in the House, and he has a sense of humor about him too!

[@fortusvictus8297]

One of the most important segments of this video is the exchange at 25:36. That says so much about the character of the people involved and their working philosophy.

[@DroppingBombs4ever]

Will the 2024 National Defense act contain well deserved audits?

[@tinticit]

you know it wont

[@DroppingBombs4ever]

@@tinticit to many corrupt Washington fat cats, that's why

[@sooofisticated0499]

The hot girl used to vouch for Ukraine I saw a good debate with Dave Smith in which she was debating him on why she wanted to support Ukraine. Now she’s changing her to in a little bit, she said she was going to “pushback” in that question, but she didn’t really pushed back did she?

[@DarkHorseSki]

I need to get one of those pins.

[@evolassunglasses4673]

A great man not captured by the Zionist movement.

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

Absolutely ✊

[@donaldquirk7801]

I don't think he is anti-Zionist as he is for trade with Israel just not for sanctions on Iran and is against war for Israel's interests.

[@DegreesOfThree]

Give it time

[@donaldquirk7801]

@@DegreesOfThree He is not anti-Zionist

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

@@donaldquirk7801 Could you please explain why you believe that? As thoroughly as you can please :)

[@Tukeen]

What a smart representative.

[@omnisis]

Fun fact: Massie holds 2 degrees from MIT, has 24 patents to his name, and once held multiple world track speed records for solar powered cars in the 90s.

[@carolynklestinec8589]

Really like Thomas Massey. God bless him and his family . Hope his values dont change . I hate when i feel aligned with a politician , then they go off the reservation and chang everything you thought about them ( aka Johnson, although i called him a liar from day 1 that i heard him speak )

[@invisibleazn9330]

Massie > Trump

[@donaldquirk7801]

Massie isn't owned by the Mossad, Trump is

[@TumultuousTitan]

The debt clock does count down. It's just negative number a long ways past zero.

[@sunnyla2835]

Speaking of Nadler, he called someone antisemitic for critizing George Soros' funding Palestinian protests, so he's not a serious person

[@Phil_4_8]

Rep. Massie, the Libertarian Party desperately needs a presidential candidate who will unify us, attract non-Libertarians, speak the truth to the electorate and stand against the duopoly. *You are that candidate.*

[@karencarter8292]

Massie spoke of the title of this specific bill and yet the contents were/are a problem, etc. Well, a century ago, a few real statemen in Congress warned about how their disingenuous colleagues would give a bill a certain title, which would sound fine, but the contents would do the opposite. This corrupt, deceitful game has been played against the interests of our people for several generations.

[@Hands2HealNow]

Reupping 702 is disgusting.

[@akhon5214]

The Debt Clock was the Highlight of the interview. I have got to get me one of those.

[@user-ff7iy9ks3g]

I agree with all the comments on Massie. He contradicts my long held first law of politics: No decent person ever seeks or accepts political power. I also love Liz and Zach. In fact , I read Liz's "Roundup" every day. I know I'm a chauvinist but I wish Liz would cut her hair like the photo on the roundup email!! Zach's hair is fine.

[@elkinjohn]

Good job! Thanks

[@WitchyWagonReal]

lol youtube stirring the slurry with a #stupidcovid disclaimer... 🙄

[@TryCryingIntoThis]

Why is there COVID propaganda here?

[@owlfrog]

That monetize the debt joke was lit

[@jasonenglish8049]

Hey there's that smoking hot blonde bombshell! What's shakin Liz!!

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

Rep. Massey really should’ve *CC0* licensed that debt clock into the public domain. That way he could’ve advertised that people can public domain any IP-monopolies you get up to the historical events of: Full abolition of intellectual property laws in any and all jurisdictions.

[@christopherwinter6911]

A subject of controversy, Snowden has been variously praised and condemned for his leaks. Snowden has defended his actions as an effort "to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them." His disclosures have fueled debates over mass surveillance, government secrecy, and the balance between national security and information privacy, something that he has said he intended to do in retrospective interviews. He SAID! this will snowball into a bigger SNOW-JOB By government! !

[@Okramthegreat]

How can foreigners give money to Thomas?

[@AtaraxiaaixaratA]

I have a question to ask. Why don't Zach & Liz just go ahead and dye their hair blue?

[@Justin_Beaver564]

WTF?

[@SotS1689]

Anyone have a link to where you can get the debt clock?

[@DroppingBombs4ever]

Crazy shit

[@alz.7716]

I support Thomas Massie for standing up against institutional Islamophobia.

[@authenticallysuperficial9874]

🙄 it's not islamophobia. It's corruption, warlikeness, and a sprinkle of racism and bigotry. It's not due to an irrational fear of islam.

[@LibertyLovingLunatic22]

Liz says how memes are the way to go in our political discourse but just the other day in her interview with Dave Smith she was bashing the LP for using memes. Establishment hypocrite. Less of her in the future please

[@user-kl9sr4ry6s]

nice AOC lipstick

[@Constitution1789]

He's right about that speed of light thing. Even if he could move at the speed of light, he still wouldn't be able to walk that many steps on his debt clock in a week. How about five times the speed of light? Still couldn't. 😂 On the other hand, there are approximately 2000 steps in a mile and light travels at 186,000 miles a second. In one week, that'd equate to 224,985,600,000,000 steps. Over the public debt clock, but technically, it's still true when also factoring the US federal government's 100 trillion in unfunded liabilities, the over fifty trillion missing from the Pentagon, and so on and so forth.

[@iamthelivingone]

DeSantis/Massie 2024 America needs you!!

[@JakeWitmer]

Stop trying to rehabilitate drug warrior anti-speech De Santis using Massie.

[@Jeff-nine41149]

Massie, I'd love to see the best congressman we have serve another ten years! Economics In One Lesson should be required reading in school, since the department of education still exists😕. It would be unfortunate to lose Massie, but after thinking about it hard for like five minutes, I think 🇺🇸 would benefit from firing every congressional member that's been there too long. And until the next election cycle, randomly offer high school economics teachers pro-tem positions. They may even talk to each other. For the foremost statement, see a 1.5hr youtube video from a heart surgeon: 'Fasting for survival' Dr pardip Jamnadas

[@CautionHighWavesAhead-]

Conservatism isn't good at conflict resoulation. Lol.

[@thesolimanz]

Just asking questions? Don’t tell Ben Shapiro

[@Jilla0559]

Massey may look like he’s from Kentucky but he’s heavily connected. To Russia

[@majermike]

zach and liz ask questions like real news anchors - long winded, boring, and hard to follow

[@StrikeTheRoot]

Reason has lost it's mind drinking the Ukranian kool-aid. Talk about jumping the shark.

[@petefalc]

Thomas Massie with every consequential vote against conservative financial principles and mega in committee. Trillions in debt have been accumulated so he can stand on some silly superficial principle.

[@jakelm4256]

What are you going on about?

[@microsoftpain]

oh no! the one person in Congress has principles and won't vote in line with his party! we're doomed!

[@glennmitchell9107]

According to Thomas Massie's logic, every American soldier, volunteer or conscripted, who fought and died in any U.S. war, was a fool. This includes those of our founding fathers who fought and died in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Massie is a good libertarian, but not a good American that Madison, Jefferson, or Washington would recognize. Maybe this is why Representative Massie never served in the uniformed services. He's no fool. War is for suckers. If too many Ukrainians (and Russians) have died, then how many is or was too many? Was the one thousandth Ukrainian KIA too many? Was the first Ukrainian KIA too many? Apparently, Thomas Massie supports the 2nd amendment. Why would anyone need a gun if the risk of death is the sole consideration that would win any argument about the necessary use of force?

[@DegreesOfThree]

He never said the Ukrainians don't need guns. He just doesn't want us to have to pay for them. If the British had nuclear weapons and over a million soldiers in 1776, it would have been wise for us not to piss them off. Gotta pick your battles wisely.

[@glennmitchell9107]

@@DegreesOfThree Nobody ever said starting the Revolutionary War was a wise decision. Two hundred forty-seven years later, I'm glad they made the unwise decision. Our founding fathers were glad that France was willing to fund that war and supply us with armaments. Think of military aid to Ukraine as paying it forward.

[@DegreesOfThree]

@@glennmitchell9107 We already paid France back a thousand times over in the form of WWI and WWII. I see no reason why we would be supporting Ukraine over Russia in the first place. Russia has historically been our ally, going all the way back to the Revolution, where they refused to help Britain in any way. Meanwhile, Ukraine doesn't even allow their people to vote anymore. Zelensky has no mandate to continue this charade. He's just a corrupt little Western puppet that's leading his people off a cliff. Apparently, you weren't paying attention to what the founders said about staying out of foreign entanglements.