**SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT**
In this lively episode of The Joe Rooz Show, Joe teases an exciting conversation with Dr. Zafra Lerman, a chemist and human rights advocate known for her work in peace-building through science. Dr. Lerman shares her remarkable journey, including her innovative approach to teaching science through art and her efforts in uniting scientists from conflicting nations to solve global issues.
Dr. Lerman discusses her book "Human Rights and Peace, A Personal Odyssey," which chronicles her life's work and her belief in science education as a human right. The conversation delves into her experiences meeting Soviet dissidents and advocating for persecuted scientists. Joe and Dr. Lerman explore the power of science to transcend cultural and political barriers, emphasizing the importance of peace and collaboration. The episode also touches on the recent legislative developments in the U.S., with Joe providing insights into the implications of the new reconciliation package signed into law.
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(00:01:36) Introduction and Technical Difficulties
(00:04:11) Show Highlights and Guest Introduction
(00:09:31) Interview with Dr. Zafra Lerman Begins
(00:26:55) Science as a Tool for Peace
(00:42:59) Teaching Science Through Art
(00:55:28) Cultural and Political Discussions
(01:08:38) Conclusion and Contact Information
- Wayne Rankin
- Rosanna Rankin
- Carolina Jimenez
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[00:01:36] Unknown:
Well, alright. Hey, folks. This is Joe Roos, and we are coming to you live tonight from the Asylum Studios, broadcasting from the pimple on the backside of Texas, the beautiful city of Eagle Pass. And we are going to do the very best that we can to bring you the best quality talk radio we could muster without all the bluster. Welcome to the Joe Ruse show, and this transmission is being sent out all across the interweb at this hour of nineteen zero nine hours on Sunday, the sixth. A correction, Tuesday, 07/08/2025. And, folks, it is great to have you here with us tonight. I do have to fix the camera again because like I said, you know, we have the the best tech crew you could possibly imagine. I mean, when I tell you they suck, they suck.
And that's because it's me. Let's fix that. How's that? Better? I think it's better too. Alright. Now that we got all that stuff squared away, as usual, it wouldn't be the start of one of my shows at least without some kind of a little kerfuffle to get us going. And, that kerfuffle started actually that when I got here to the studio, I had no internet. That's correct. We had nothing, nothing, nothing at all. And, I just wanna say thank you to the folks at my ISP for, getting us up and running at zero hour. I mean, total literally, I think we got everything up and running at 06:58.
So, and then of course, you know you know how Windows is, you gotta have the million and one updates after you've, done something. So yeah. And then, you know, I gotta remember to turn off the auto updates because then things just shut off and started going through this whole cycle. What a mess. What a mess. What a mess. The last couple of days we've been here with the tech. But, hey, you know what? That's okay. I'm a one man operation basically here at the studio. I'm gonna have our help. We have our anonymous Angela, our producer out there, you know, kicking it, doing the thing that she does the best, and making sure that we get everything all put together and ready to go. So at least on her end, everything is good. The big problem is my end. My end is the problem because I spread myself way too thin, that's why.
And, those that know me know that that is quite the case. Well, folks, I hope you were able to join us on last night's show. We had a great time with, Pat Mingarelli, and then we also had Marissa Lee. Two completely different approaches to everything, but yet somehow, we had a great show last night, and, I really hope that you guys, enjoyed that. And, some of the feedback that I've been getting has been really good, so thank you so much for for that. And I really absolutely appreciate that to no end. Also, you know, we have a great show lined up for you tonight. We have, we have a somebody who's gonna be very, very, very interesting to talk to. Somebody who has a lot of worldly experience out there. Somebody who has actually, gotten involved in in in world politics and events, doctor Zafra Lerman, and she'll be joining us here in just a few minutes. We're gonna take care of just some housekeeping stuff first, get that stuff out of the way, and then we'll bring her on in. So folks, just wanna remind you to head over to our website, joeroos.com.
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Alright. So, got a lot of ground to cover. But, before we get into the other stuff of the day, tonight, we have a guest that is waiting in our waiting room right now for us. She is a chemist, an educator, a human rights advocates advocate, and one of the most courageous peace builders of our time. Doctor Zafra Lerman is the founder of the Malta Conferences Foundation, where she brings scientists and enemy nations from enemy nations. Think of Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, and more. All into the same room to collaborate on real world problems like water scarcity and nuclear proliferation. My English will get caught up. She's taught chemistry through, believe it or not, dance and hip hop, walked through dark Moscow alleys to meet Soviet dissidents, and fought for the rights of persecuted scientists around the globe. Her work has earned her global recognition, including nominations for the Nobel Nobel Peace Prize. Folks, our little show has a Nobel Peace Prize nominee waiting in the wings.
How great is that? Only in America, and only through podmatch.com. She received honors from UNESCO, the US State Department, and she's, and the presidential award for mentoring minorities in science, but she's also an author. She's written a book called the human rights called she's written a book called Human Rights and Peace, A Personal Odyssey, which is a memoir that pulls back the curtain on the remarkable and dangerous life that she's lived. Now, folks, if you care about peace, progress, and the power of science to unite us, this is a conversation that you really need to hear. So folks, let's welcome doctor Zafra Luhrmann. Doctor Luhrmann, are you out there? I see you're checked in.
Gotta turn your mic on, turn your camera on. Let's fix the camera while you wait. Let's see if she's texting on the device here. There she is. The microphone is on. Can you hear me? Yes, ma'am. I can hear you. Just can't see you yet. Gotta turn your camera on too.
[00:11:56] Unknown:
When I put the camera on, it tells me morning morning, you are about to be on stage. Yes. Okay. What does he want me to do? I'm after eye surgery, so the letters are very small. They're on camera.
[00:12:12] Unknown:
Okay. Well, there you go. Oh, here I am. There you go. Doctor Okay. Welcome to the show.
[00:12:19] Unknown:
Thank you very much. Thank you for the introduction. And I'm glad to be on this podcast that does so many beautiful things.
[00:12:31] Unknown:
And how do you want to run this podcast? Well, I'm I have I have some questions that I'd like to ask you. We're gonna work our way down through a little bit of, work our way down through some some easy stuff, and then get to your book and talk about some of the experiences that you've had throughout your career. And, like, I I I basically given us a small resume of what you've done over the course of your life, and it is an amazing story. Absolutely amazing story. And, you know, the and like I I said, it's not often that a little podcast like ours gets a Nobel Peace Prize nominee to sit across the way from us. And that is Yeah. No. Tom will compete with me. No. I don't know. Who can? I don't know. I don't know. But, but some of the quest I like to ask every guest that comes on the show just, like two two questions just to just to kinda get get a sense. Okay?
And these are kinda like fun questions. So what is something most people don't know about you, but should know about you?
[00:13:36] Unknown:
That I'm scared to death of a mouse. Right. And that when I served in the military, I was on guard for two to four in the morning, a mouse came, and I told him, oh, you or me. He stayed, and I ran away. Almost got myself in prison as a result of it.
[00:13:59] Unknown:
From a mouse. Wow. From a mouse.
[00:14:02] Unknown:
That's great. You're not scared to walk in dark colors in the Soviet Union,
[00:14:07] Unknown:
but the mouse can scare the hell off. The mouse gets you. That's great. That's funny. Alright. So so what about, what what's your go to beverage that you like to have to unwind at the end of the day?
[00:14:21] Unknown:
Wow. You will never believe Fiji water.
[00:14:25] Unknown:
Really? I like I like bourbon. So
[00:14:32] Unknown:
I am not great on drinking
[00:14:34] Unknown:
alcohol, so Fiji water. I'll do I'll do it for you. No problem. Okay. You can enjoy that. And I'm not drinking alcohol right now. This is coffee. This is this is some of the great coffee that, that, actually you get through rumble. It's called seventeen seventy five coffee. This stuff is amazing. It's it's absolutely fantastic. And they're running a great deal right now where you can get, 15% off. You just go to rumble.com/studio, and get yourself your deal. So, now you spent your life at really at the crossroads of of of science and peace building and education. Now for for for our listeners, for for for folks that may not have known of you prior to you coming on the show here, how would you describe what it is that you do?
[00:15:21] Unknown:
First, I'm a scientist. I have a PhD in chemistry. And usually when I lecture and I say that, everybody says, oh, I hate that chemistry. So now I cannot hear the reaction. I hate that chemistry. Okay. I did research on isotope effects. So I'm ready to give a lecture, but I'm sure nobody is interested in that. But I just want to tell you that when you hear about enrichment of uranium, it's because there are two isotopes of uranium that we mined. And the majority is uranium two thirty eight. The ones that is needed for the bomb is uranium two thirty five, and this is in a very small amount. Therefore, you need all the centrifuge to enrich it as you listen all the time, where is the enriched uranium in Iran. So this is isotope, but I worked on isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen that are very different isotope.
And they I did the research at Cornell and Northwestern University in The US, at the Swiss Polytechnicum and Czech in Switzerland and at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. And in one stage, I I could not hear how people don't want science, don't will cannot understand science. And I believe that science education is a human rights that belongs to all.
[00:17:11] Unknown:
So I agree with you.
[00:17:13] Unknown:
So I developed a way to teach science through art, music, dance, drama, rap, and became very popular around the world. The way I proved that I'm not playing with science, but I'm teaching is I persuaded the chair of chemistry at Princeton to go together with me on a proposal to the National Science Foundation to develop the same class for my theater and dance students and for Princeton non science majors and the National Science Foundation called it our flagship project, and it became very popular around the world with underprivileged students.
While doing that, I served as twenty six years as the chair of the subcommittee on scientific freedom and human rights for the American Chemical Society. Wow. And through that, I worked a lot of few on human rights, so in the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, I used to go with scientific group. During the day, we were scientists, guest of universities giving scientific lecture. At dinner, I would look in my group who did not look too frightened during the Soviet Union, And I would tell this person, if I'm not here tomorrow morning, call the American Embassy, but don't ask questions.
Wow. And I would go after midnight in dark alley, and I arranged in advance to meet one dissident that then took me to the Flint Alleys to collect more dissidence, illegal by the Soviet Union to meet with dissidents. Then at 2AM, we would go to a dark attic where I gave them a seminar and distributed scientific material illegal in the Soviet Union. Wow. And then I all the CVs back so I could walk on their behalf to leave the Soviet Union. And the ones that were in prison or in came in Siberia to bring them all out in the pleasure to go after that to an ACS.
ACS is American Capital Society Okay. Meeting and suddenly see two people with suits calling me, and they were dissidents that I walked on bringing them to The United States. And in 02/2011 and other things, I thought that we should my committee on scientific freedom and human rights. I work by the China. There are a lot of stories about after Tiananmen Square and in Guatemala and Peru. I took delegations to Cuba then worked on human rights in Cuba. And then to the board of the American Capital Society, the idea of bringing together under the same roof, scientists from all the countries in the Middle East.
Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinians, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, everybody. And the one roof, no accompanying members not to dilute the interaction. Chemists know that if they dilute the solution, the reaction is slower. Nobel laureates. And during that week, develop collaboration on issues that you mentioned that no one country can solve alone, and they must work in collaboration. And in addition, develop friendship that overcome the of disaster and intolerance. And this is when the Malta conference And in the beginning, when I suggested that, there was sight to hear people breathing. The people thought I'm completely crazy to suggest something like that. Mhmm. But we are doing it already for twenty years, And now is a bad bad situation.
But I'm in touch with all our participant in Iran, and they are all okay. Our participants from I already with help of the Egyptian that participate in Malta to Egypt already long ago. Now I'm looking for for one family that has young children, and Egypt doesn't let them the kids to school because Egypt doesn't want anybody from Gaza They want just to cancel. So if there is anybody that has any power in any country to help me one in Gaza to take to another country, they should write to you and you will know, and we will, like, stay with these kids Right. That way you are not in school. So this is the summary. So everything I can if you can think about the fact that just get visa for all these country is mission impossible.
Wow. No country wants all these group. Nobody wants the Syrian in the country. Nobody wants the Iranian. Many countries don't want the Iraqis too. To get the visa is probably the toughest part on putting something like that together. And in my book, I described all what I had in genuine innovation. It become a genius to think what to do to get a visa for these people. So this is tough as then to raise the money to pay for everybody is another problem and to deal with the collaborations that are going on. This is in summary. I wrote a whole book about that. Here is my book. Mhmm.
[00:24:14] Unknown:
We were gonna get to that. Yeah. But that's great. It's now in paperback.
[00:24:18] Unknown:
Thank god. Because they they Amazon sold it for a fortune. Now now it's affordable because I have to pay for that. So I have to buy it too. Oh, I see. When I come to give present, they give me only 10 for free. Really? I already needed many more to give presents, and we do I do I give lecture and do book signings, so it's good that now it's a normal price.
[00:24:48] Unknown:
That's great, though. That that is fantastic. Before I go to the next question, I had I have to a commitment that I have to keep here. So let me let me do this really fast as soon as it loads up. Folks, when Rumble first started in 02/2013, they built the platform for the small creator like us. They didn't censor or have biases. They were fair. They treated all creators equally. No one thought that platforms would censor political conversation or censor opinions on COVID, but they did. They did. Facebook admitted that they fell to pressure from the Biden Harris administration, but Rumble did not. Rumble held the line.
They're attacked daily for giving us a voice to talk to you. They're attacked in corporate media. They're attacked by governments like France. They're attacked from brand advertisers who refuse to work with them. Corporate America is fighting to remove speech. Rumble is fighting to keep it. Rumble won't survive though with brand advertisers. They don't get much of it. Watching our show on Rumble is the most they can ask from you. But if you really believe in this fight, if you really have any if you have the means to do it, one major way that you can help Rumble is by joining Rumble Premium.
Join the movement, join the community that believes in the First Amendment and believes in our human right to free speech. Rumble is offering $10 off with the promo code studio when you purchase an annual subscription. Just go to rumble.com/premium and use promo code studio. That's rumble.com/premium using code studio. And like I said, if you have the means and you believe in the cause, now is the time to join Rumble Premium. If you don't have the means, we're just happy if you watch us on Rumble, and help us spread the word. Alright. Bill paid. Okay. Alright. So the next so another question I wanted to ask you was, so what inspired you though to use science as a tool for peace building, especially in regions that that have been so ripped to pieces by by constant conflict?
[00:26:56] Unknown:
First, science international. Science doesn't see language and borders, cultures. Science is international. I always in my lecture like to say, chemist from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thank God there is a Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. I can't remember. And the scientist from Bethlehem on the West Bank can communicate to each other without knowing each adult's language. Mhmm. And this gives science a power that no other profession can have. In addition, science is not always solving all the problems in the world. Science is part of the problems in the world. Weapon of mass destruction could not happen without scientists that work on death. Right.
Therefore, I felt very strongly that it's the responsibility of scientists to use the science for the betterment of the planet and fight against everything else that destroyed the planet. Right. And this brought me to do all the things I'm doing that really ought to make the planet a better place for living matter because I protect the animals too. I don't eat them because they are very nice. So not only humankind, but any mountain too. I just am afraid of the mouse, but I protect the beak.
[00:28:48] Unknown:
So it's okay so it's okay to kill the mouse, but you just don't wanna
[00:28:52] Unknown:
Take a good mom.
[00:28:55] Unknown:
It's great. You know, doctor Luhrmann, you you've done some some amazing work. You know, and just just by reading your bio and just by by doing some just very cursory research, background research on you. You've done some incredibly courageous work like you said before, meeting meeting Soviet dissidents in secret, you know, and and, in the dark alleys, and and advocating, for persecuted science scientists. What's your motivation for this? What drives you to, to take those kinds of risks?
[00:29:30] Unknown:
Probably the values that were instilled in me when when I grow up. You don't be you don't start trying to do good for the world if you don't have the right values. By the way, I had to meet I don't know if all your audience, young people don't know even what the name Andrei Sakowov. They never heard this name. Or Tiananmen Square. They don't know what it means. Yeah. But I met Andrei Sakowov. He spoke with me through a translator. He did not know English. So he told me that for the work I'm doing, I should take a crash course of Russian.
[00:30:17] Unknown:
Okay.
[00:30:17] Unknown:
I could go by myself because every translator that I will have will be a KGB agent. Oh, that's That this is how it works.
[00:30:29] Unknown:
That's so fascinating because you know, a lot of times, I don't think a lot of people even think about that. How how how the translators could be possible agents of the foreign government, and not even really translating what you're supposed to be, gang, but but kind of twisting it around.
[00:30:47] Unknown:
They say if you don't know the language, you don't know what they are saying. That's right. Yeah. So this is why I took a class course in Russian too. So I could speak Russian, therefore, I could go by myself because I didn't really need anybody to translate, but it's for sure comes from the way I grew up. My father was a politician, built the country. He was always involved in one of the people that started with the labor union Mhmm. Not in The US. In case you thought that I was born in The US, I live around I live in Evanston, Illinois, next to Northwestern, but my accent is really not exactly a Midwestern
[00:31:50] Unknown:
accent. Not with
[00:31:52] Unknown:
mistaken it for a Midwestern
[00:31:55] Unknown:
accent. No. I I I kinda thought you were more, like, from, like, Louisiana or something like that.
[00:32:00] Unknown:
Oh. You
[00:32:02] Unknown:
know?
[00:32:03] Unknown:
Not the Midwest. Anyhow, I'll give you an example. When and it's in my book. When I turned six, I was already in school because I graduated from kindergarten in one day. I saw the teacher pinch a child, and I came home and I said, I got you. Kindergarten and nothing in the world could be there. So I went to first. Okay? And for my sick then my father put a note in my shoe when I woke up. And the letter that he left for me and remembers years old. And the letter said, I hope you will go. Today is your best day. I wish you all that, and I hope you go will go up to be loyal to your country, to your nation, and to your family. Wow.
Look. Look. Then he said, I'm giving you a surprise and this amount of money, and you will divide it by three. One third, you will donate to help children that lost their parents and, alone to help them. One third, to help to plant trees and forest in the country. And one third, you can do what you want. When you grow up like that with these values, you know that you came to this world in order to leave it a better place than when you arrived. That's beautiful. That that is beautiful. Students, I used to say, every day I used to tell them, I want every day before you want to sleep to think about one thing. What did I do good for somebody else today?
And if did something good, you had a good day. Wow. And this is what I was communicating to my students.
[00:34:16] Unknown:
That is beautiful. That that really is. That that truly is. Let Let me ask you this. Why why do you think that science or why do you believe that science, education science education, at least, is a human right?
[00:34:30] Unknown:
Because science education is not just a subject.
[00:34:35] Unknown:
Okay. It
[00:34:36] Unknown:
developing your critical thinking like no other subject. It develops your curiosity. It develop your way logic way of thinking. You remind me my students that used to do theater if they were siestre student to show the knowledge through theater because in my classes, I used to tell my student I hated to have to write a multiple choice, test and show in one hour all my knowledge. And what if I did not feel well, my classes don't have things like that. Nice. Show me knowledge as you want. You want to dance, eat dance. You want to act it, act. So That's great.
And I felt that I have students in Hollywood now. They were film majors. But they said I I was invited to the Emmy award that one of my student got. And he said, my success is what I learned in new classes. Oh, wow. The film department.
[00:35:54] Unknown:
What a compliment, though. That's that's amazing. That's great.
[00:35:57] Unknown:
When they were doing the projects, they were imitating my students, and they would say, critical thinking. You critical thinking with my accent. It was hilarious to see where all of them crazy because I was telling them. I don't care if you forget everything. You know, I would think how many of you had to remember a periodic table and the hands went up. I said, here, each of your periodic table, you don't have to memorize name. Said, I'll tell you a secret. They by themselves not don't know their names. So you don't have to memorize their names. That's great.
He doesn't develop anything. It was all in order to develop. And therefore, I felt that if we prevent such a huge part of the society from enjoying this kind of learning. We are forming to class society, really, that is divided not by royalty Mhmm. But by their learning of science or not learning. That's interesting. I don't know. I can see the difference. I when I talk to students, there is a huge difference from students in different universities if they don't take any class that really, really develops their critical thinking.
[00:37:40] Unknown:
That's such a unique such a unique approach and such a unique technique to to to to teach. That's that's wonderful. That's that's, you know, it reminds me when I was in when I was in college, you know, I I never liked and I I was talking to my audience about this on a previous show. I never liked history. I always thought history was the most boring subject in the world. Oh, well, I wasn't the same. You know? But but here's the thing. I didn't have an appreciation for history until I got to college, and I had this one professor, doctor Berger. I'll never forget this man. He would come into the lecture hall, and it was a fairly decent sized school, so it had, you know, pretty large lecture halls.
And, the theater style, you know, typical, you know, stuff, you know, the platform stage and everything. And he would come marching into that auditorium, and he would get up on that platform, he'd have no notes, nothing nothing written up on any boards anywhere, and he would literally act out on the stage for for the class scenes of history. And when I say he would he would pull back the bows, and he'd shoot the arrows, and he'd load the catapults, and he'd do that, and he'd march and stomp around the thing, and he'd swing the swords and all that stuff. Nothing in his hands, just, you know, just just pantomiming the whole thing. And man, I I sat there and I was like, you know what? I have never seen anything like that from from from a teacher, from education.
And that just that just peaked my curiosity into history, and I I developed a new love for it. And so from that point on, I do I really spent a lot of my time in school, and actually after school. I think I did more of my learning of history on my own, in my own study, in my own research, than I did when I was in school, but that man put that that that spark inside of me to to learn more, to want to know more, and to and to and to put myself into it. And that reminds me very much of what you're saying, you know. You know, if you if you can put yourself into it, you'll get so much more out of it. And that's that's that's great. I love that. I think that's a fantastic way to do it.
[00:39:48] Unknown:
You know theater students acted, a group of them. They did the act on the chemical bond. Okay. And they did it. They followed Romeo and Juliet, and they practically just changed the words there to fit the structure of the atom, water, neutrons, electrons, and then a surgeon falls in love with clothing to form table salt. And then because it's a it's a Romeo a Shakespeare, it has to be tragedy. The water came and broke the ball, broke the the marriage. The students that played sodium, I remember till now by the way, all these videos are on our YouTube. But there is the students that played sodium, he's saying to Chloe, I am Sodom from the other side of the periodic table.
And I went to a Shakespeare play in Chicago, and this act main actor said something. Now I did not hear what he said. To me, it sounded, I am so different from the other side. I looked at the program, and it was this student. Oh, wow. That's amazing. Backstage, and I said to him, I recognize this intonation. And he said, I want to tell you something. I forgot everything I learned in college, but the periodic table, the structure of the atom, the ionic bond, I will never forget
[00:41:35] Unknown:
because we wrote the script and we acted. That is that is it is hysterical, but it's amazing too. And I'll be honest, I I would love to see something like that. That I think that would be so intriguing. I I think I would really like that. I like stuff like that. I'm I'm I'm kinda I'm kinda geeky that way, you know. But it's that's a lot. That's amazing. I'm a intellectual
[00:41:55] Unknown:
on my book and I concentrated mainly on the piece at the, but I mentioned the education. At the end, one woman raised their hand and said, I I enjoyed your lecture tremendously, but I cannot understand how you could teach science to dance. I said, okay. I said, I need nine volunteers. And I said, then you will be one of them, and I'll show you how you will dance now the depletion of the ozone layer. And my audience dance, I got a standing ovation for fifteen minutes.
[00:42:42] Unknown:
That's funny.
[00:42:45] Unknown:
Statement ovation to
[00:42:47] Unknown:
show to her how she can dance the depletion of the ocean land. My goodness. She cannot do it on the screen. I would have loved to have seen that. That that sounds I guess, it's amazing. I would love that. I mean, I I would be the I'd be the one in the background, you know, you know, probably making fun of it through the whole thing, but deep down inside really appreciating what I was seeing. You know you know those those kind of people. Oh, my goodness. But you mentioned your book. Let's let's let's get to your book for a second here. So, your book, Human Rights and Peace, A Personal Odyssey. So so what do you hope to get out of, or what do you hope for readers to take away from your book?
[00:43:22] Unknown:
It's it's the re the book really start with me growing up. I stay away from mentioning the name of the country, but I think I and I should mention where I grew up. I'm an Israeli. I grew up in Israel. I got my bachelor, master, PhD in Israel. My PhD is from the Weizmann Institute of Science that was chosen as one of the test 10 best research institutes in the world, was attacked very badly now, and all the cancer research was destroyed, but it will be rebuilt. So it starts my father is one of the pioneers that came in 1920 Mhmm. To build this plant. So it starts growing up in Israel serving in the military. I did not volunteer.
I was drafted, and they it described all that. And, in high school, I was the only girl in my class. So my life started growing up only with boys because it was math and science, and they were tough test. And I don't know. Even in Israel, I was the only girl that ended up in this class. So it was tough because my best girlfriends growing up were boys. It was a very different
[00:44:53] Unknown:
dynamic. I I could I could imagine.
[00:44:56] Unknown:
Then I discussed this way of teaching that is practically a call for people to see that there is a different way to understand science. And it's not something beyond anybody, that everybody can understand science. The human rights and the peace part, it's really calling for action to say to everybody, look what you can do. Right. Look what one woman can do. For sure, everybody can do, and it's a call to action. In addition, I came to The States for a postdoc to Cornell. I had a child. I got married very young, so I had a child as an undergraduate. But by the time I came for a postdoc, I was divorced. So I came as a single mom.
And I hate to hear the people say, oh, these children, grew up with a single mom. Blah blah blah. So it talks to to show it too that you can be a single mom and do a lot for the world. Of course. Yes. It's a a it's there are a lot of messages to people, and this is why I wrote this book. I wrote it under a lot of pressure. It's really three books that got because the chair of Princeton and I had a contract with Macmillan to write the book only on their education. Okay. But we and and Amazon still advertised like we wrote it, but we did not because it was very hard because of the distance to pull it off.
So I thought it's important to have it written. And I tried to keep it only 200 pages because it's very hard these days to read a book. I ordered the book from Amazon, and it came 500 pages. I said, I I can't read 500 pages. Therefore, I wanted this book, but it's a book that shows that you can come as a alien to this country as an immigrant. You know? You can be a single mother, and you can still do a lot to the world, and it can show what everybody can do. If everybody will just try to make the world a better place and not just concentrate on themselves. So this is why this book but I was under pressure first to write a book on education, then write a book on the piece, then I did everything.
[00:47:52] Unknown:
Yeah. I gotta pay a bill again, so one give me one second here. Okay. Let's see. Alright, folks. If you're tired of paying high prices, outrageous prices for your medications while other countries pay a fraction of the cost, you know, president Trump signed an executive order to fix this problem, but why wait? Blockbusterhealth.com is already or or already offering I will figure out the English language one of these days, is already offering Americans these savings right now. We're talking up to 80% of the same exact medications you're already taking, same brands, same quality, just fair prices. Whether it's Ozempic, insulin, or any other prescription, Blockbuster Health connects you directly with licensed pharmacies that offer international pricing.
No middlemen, no markup, just honest prices. Give us a call at +1 (888) 350-1353. That's +1 (888) 350-1353 or visit blockbusterhealth.com. Americans shouldn't have to choose between their health and their wallet, so check it out. (888) 350-1353 or blockbuster health dot com. Alright. Bill paid. On to the next. Bill paid pays. A little bit here there. I I I earned my 10¢. We're good. Alright. So now, you know, of course, you know, there's a lot of conflict and a lot of things that, that's that's set back peaceful talks and peaceful agendas, and and and how do how do you find the motivation to keep going and keep believing in the prospect of peace?
[00:49:34] Unknown:
I talk continuously to people in all these countries. And, you know, here is Iran is being attacked by my two nationalities. Okay? And I contacted the the Iranian, and all what I could hear is it proves to you how Malta is important. If the nature magazine did the review on my book, And then they have something that comes out that has one paragraph on few of the most important article. But in the middle, they have quote of the day. So the quote of the day one day was for my book. Okay. And what they quote that they picked up was that if I will be able to form a critical mass of scientist, then we can start a chain reaction for peace. You know, this is how the atom bomb works. You must have a critical mass Right. Of a uranium two seventy five to stop the chain reaction that becomes a.
I just played, and nature picked that up as quote of the day. Then they advertised the my my book. I believe if I would have the means to have several conferences like that where it really you can form a critical mass. When the Iranian came the first time, they came to me with tears in their eyes, and they people 60 years old, top scientist, president of university, and they said, all our life, we learn that the Israelis are they don't look like everybody else. And here, we meet the most wonderful people, great scientists. We want to collaborate with them.
Why are they spreading all these wires? It was for them the first time in their life to see an Israeli, and they were shocked that they looked
[00:52:02] Unknown:
like that. Just like everybody else.
[00:52:04] Unknown:
Therefore, if we can have a platform where we can stop the demonizing of the unknown under, we can get to to peace. The people people want to live with peace. People don't hate it either. It's coming somehow from above. And in one interview, somebody asked me, how do you think we will get cheap peace in the world? He said, it would would not have politician. That's right. I agree with that. He helped to achieve peace in the world.
[00:52:46] Unknown:
I agree with that. Good night. Yeah. It's a good one. Yeah. I'm gonna have to write that I'm gonna write that one down. I'm gonna save that one. So, by the way, I knew you were from Israel, by the way. Oh, you're muted? Just by your accent, and I'm gonna tell you why. Well, I'm gonna try this now. Because my closest friend, my best friend growing up from kindergarten all the way through until I I would say that when did he when did he leave? Probably somewhere around 1996 or '7 or so. He he, an Orthodox Jewish young man from an Israeli family, living in Brooklyn where I grew up.
My best friend You grew up in Brooklyn. Yes. Not in Texas. No, ma'am. I'm a transplant. No, I'm a transplant. I'm born and raised in Brooklyn. I I I worked in, I worked for New York City in law enforcement for twenty five years, and, or close to twenty five years, and I came to Texas about ten years ago. Yeah. Got away from that. But but he, but he was he grew up together, loved loved him, loved his loved his family, and, you know, he he moved to Israel. And, now he's living a wonderful life in Israel, very happily married. And the funny thing is is that Tahir, he has a mix of an accent.
He has an accent very similar to yours with a Brooklyn undertone to it. So it sounds really funny. But, so I was able to pick it up a little bit from you. So I knew that's where you were from. But, I didn't wanna throw I didn't wanna throw it out there. That's I left that up to you to do it. But,
[00:54:28] Unknown:
hey. So I I didn't know if you didn't mention it, but, you know, we live in such a crazy world. Yeah. I'm very proud of being Israeli and You should be. Israel and all the people, you know, that don't want anything from Israel should throw away first their iPhone. Mhmm. Because so many parts here are for me. That's yeah. That's that's very true. That's the first thing they should throw away. That's very true. To ever use waves to try to drive because waves is is rare. That's right. So I'm I'm very proud of Israel, but, you know, I didn't know if you just canceled it to mention it or what. I knew I'll mention it. I just Yeah. Nothing wrong with it. You know, I take I had three eye surgeries.
I had COVID that affected my vision. Okay. So I have to take Ubers, and my drivers are Mohammed and and I start conversation. And then I say, I'm an Israeli. Where are you? And it's it's I never feel any animosity. Yeah. I feel that human being can talk and,
[00:55:50] Unknown:
but it's crazy now in The US. So I I know. I I have I have been I, you know, I've been following a lot of a lot of folks, for for a long time and, just listening to news and whatnot. And, you know, I am just so surprised at some of the rhetoric that I'm hearing, you know, from from folks that it just really can it it just baffles me, you know. And my background, you know, I'm I'm a I'm a born again Christian, you know. I I believe in I believe in the Lord, and, you know, I read my bible and, you know, I study, I teach bible, I I I preach, I did the street preaching, you know. And, you know, I have a great deal of respect for the Jewish people and the culture. It's a very rich history, you know. I may not agree with some of the political decisions that they made. But the political issue.
But but the culture. Right.
[00:56:41] Unknown:
Exactly. And from my activities, but look at that. My people from the Malta conference Mhmm. From Gaza, who took them out to safety? I I am Israeli. I took the people, and I ask every country. I beg for a visa for one family so the kids will go to to school. And with all the demonstration, no country wants people from Gaza in this in their country. So
[00:57:18] Unknown:
Which I also found very interesting too because, you know, the the people in Gaza, they're they're mostly Islamic, and you have all of these Islamic nations around them that, Nobody
[00:57:30] Unknown:
them. I'm sorry? And nobody wants Nobody wants them. One family. I have connection to royal families, and they don't want God. I met the general from England. He said he has a lot of we spend a lot of time. He said he will do it. Mhmm. After a few months, he called me. I have a lot of connection in Malta with every boat, And they already wanted the passport and everything, and I thought in the last minute, it was no. So That's and that's that's why I find that so fascinating, you know, as as Yeah. But who is the one that spends day and night to help this Gaza this rally? That's right.
This what you have to think about. Yeah. Not the people that demonstrate on the street.
[00:58:22] Unknown:
Right. I I don't think I I think that, a a lot of times, media focuses on all the negatives just to kind of drum up this, perception that there's all this conflict and all these difficulties and all these problems when really I don't like, I if if I'm not mistaken, and again, you know, like I said, my friend lives in in in Israel, and I hear from him a lot. You know, Muslims, Christians, Jewish people, they they all live together in in Israel. Israel is a very secular country, of course, but but,
[00:59:00] Unknown:
but, But they all get there and
[00:59:03] Unknown:
and And they get along.
[00:59:05] Unknown:
The the I just had a Zoom with one of my participant that is a Christian Arab. Mhmm. And he said from all the Middle East these days, for the Christian Arab is is the safest. Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Also, they are Arabs, but they are Christians. Them Israel is the safest.
[00:59:29] Unknown:
Yeah. So
[00:59:32] Unknown:
it's it's, you know, bottom line, Ishmael and Isaac were brothers, children of Abraham. That's right. Jesus was Jewish. Mhmm. So it's all related. It's in we, with the Arabs, we call each other cousins Right. Because we are cousins.
[00:59:57] Unknown:
Because because because all of the Eastern religions are Semitic in background. They have that connection to it. Yeah. Absolutely. That's that's amazing. So let me ask you this. What what's what's the most fun or surprising reaction you've ever had you you ever ever seen from a student? What is the most fun Or surprising reaction you've ever seen in the student from from your teachings, when you would teach?
[01:00:30] Unknown:
Look, I had a lot of surprises when they were showing their projects because this is their test. Mhmm. And there were a lot of surprises. But I want to tell you one reaction. I hate science fiction. Cannot stand science fiction. Not movies, not book, nothing. So a group of theater student did a terrific project on the depletion of the ozone layer, but it's all like star war. It's tank like star war. It's the music of star war and everything, but they do it like the ozone. The ozone is three atoms of oxygen. Oxygen that you breathe is two atoms. In the atmosphere, they go back back and forth. Right. Two ozone becomes three oxygen and back and forth.
But why was the depletion? Because the chlorine radicals start pulling oxygen away from the ozone. They showed it all like Star Wars. And I said, you know, it's a terrific project, but there is one part that I don't know why it's there, and you must take it out. There is a part of it. There is some crazy guy. I don't know what the sword, and this should be taken out. What is that doing here? And what did they say? This is doctor what who's there is a doctor something against tower. Darth Vader. Yes. And I'd never seen it. I wanted this part out because I said, what is this ugly figure doing in the woods?
And the whole class was laughing like crazy because I said it's a very good project. If you can take out this part out.
[01:02:28] Unknown:
Nice. That's great.
[01:02:31] Unknown:
And it was all falling in Star Wars, but I didn't want this part. It it looked to me ugly.
[01:02:39] Unknown:
So the students, we used to make a lot of fun of me and then my my accent, but I was laughing with But, you know, the accent's great, though. I mean, it just it it it it just adds something to the host to this to the story. It just adds something to the whole thing. It's a great it's a great accent. I love it. But a lot of them used to imitate it when they would
[01:03:01] Unknown:
do their project. They would talk with it. That's that's great. Because I used to say that we are under the umbrella of environmental studies. And when they did the project, we are under the umbrella. You know what I mean? They they they had the pleasure to to to to imitate my accent.
[01:03:29] Unknown:
That's great. But out of my accent, it's okay. It's a charming accent. Oh, it's fine. Yeah. Yeah. And like I said, as soon as soon as you started speaking, I knew exactly where you were.
[01:03:41] Unknown:
I realized that you don't say it till I said he's leaving it to me. I will have to say it at one stage. Not getting off a program. Country less.
[01:03:56] Unknown:
Well, you know, I like to leave things to my audience to try to decipher for their own, you know, you know, try to, you know, spark this the, the the the intellectual juices in the mind there a little bit. I mean, gave them enough time till I say it. That's it. We did. So
[01:04:11] Unknown:
so there is something on me that could have what is it that could The yellow ribbon? The ribbon.
[01:04:19] Unknown:
But not everybody knows. No. Because honestly, I I I I wasn't sure what it was. What it was what it represented.
[01:04:25] Unknown:
The hostages.
[01:04:26] Unknown:
Yes. Okay. Yeah. The host Tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree.
[01:04:31] Unknown:
Yeah. There you go. Yeah. But the this pin, if you see Israeli television
[01:04:37] Unknown:
everywhere. They're they're wearing it. Yeah. That's actually, that's that's true. Yeah. I didn't notice that until you just mentioned it. That's that's that's great. Very good. Alright. So we're coming up on the hour. So let let me just let me let me try to wrap this up here for you. So, so, who's somebody that you deeply respect right now, and what are they doing that we should pay attention to?
[01:04:56] Unknown:
I now? God, it's a tough question.
[01:05:01] Unknown:
Well, the the the guest that I the guest that I had on last night said it was me. So, you know, I'm kidding.
[01:05:07] Unknown:
No. I I think you have a lot of fun. I would like to to have a Zoom to talk to you. Oh, for sure. Yes. I have a lot of question to you, but, I don't know who else is here. I don't
[01:05:21] Unknown:
like to talk when I don't know who's there. Well, I don't know who's here either, but that's alright. Yeah. But we could definitely just do another call sometime, a private call. That'd be that'd be a lot of fun. I had it just now with somebody else. I did the Zoom.
[01:05:33] Unknown:
He has a Zoom on nature and science. And talking to me, he got excited. He must have a degree in chemistry to develop a way to teach organic chemistry more creatively. So he got back on a Zoom with me to see to hear my opinion about what I what he did there. So we had the chance to talk not on the podcast, but somebody that I really respect these days. It's a tough, tough question.
[01:06:15] Unknown:
Yeah. You know, it actually it actually is because there there are just so many just wicked people out there right now. It's hard to find some Wicked people. It's hard to find a diamond in the garbage bill.
[01:06:28] Unknown:
And politician who is doing something good these days. A lot of the people that do good are gone. No. I Linus Pauling was my hero. He's gone long ago. He he Wow. He worked for peace. He's the only human being that cut two unshared Nobel law patches. One for chemistry and one for peace. Wow. But now That's amazing. Now it's it's hard to say who is you know, for sure, there are Nobel laureates who are doing wonderful work, but this is for us within the scientific community. It doesn't mean anything to the general public, but people like Andrei Sakharov that really was outspoken and, you don't have many people like that.
[01:07:27] Unknown:
That's a shame too. Yeah. It it it really is.
[01:07:30] Unknown:
April asked me, who is the person you ever respected since I was six years old or five years old? My dream was to meet Albert Einstein.
[01:07:40] Unknown:
I knew you were gonna say that. I I I I don't know why, but that that that was the name that was in my head. Yeah. The person I admire. That's why. It's amazing. That's great. Alright. So let let me ask you this then. Alright. Maybe let me this might be a little bit of a a of an easier question to pull from. So if you could speak one sentence into the minds of everybody that's listening right now, and know it that know that it would stick in their minds, what would that sentence be?
[01:08:07] Unknown:
That sentence be that we all of us belong to the same humanity. Yeah. Yeah. And therefore, we should all love each other and live in peace. We can have differences, and we can discuss them, but we there is only one humanity
[01:08:26] Unknown:
that we are all members of. Amen. Amen to that. Alright. And last question. Where can the audience go to learn more about you and and support the Malta Conference?
[01:08:39] Unknown:
My personal website is safalehrman.com.com. Yes. In the Malta Conference website, in there, there is a page to support is mountainconfluences Okay. Foundation.org. Alright. But it's confluences foundation dot org. Mountain confluences foundation. And if they refer to you,
[01:09:11] Unknown:
I don't know. Did they communicate to you by email? I don't know. It was through the it was through the match service. So, I I have I have all that information, and we've included all of that in the audio show notes. And when I generate the video show notes, I'll make sure all that information is in there as well so the folks can, get in touch with you. Alright. Well Yeah. My daughter is that willing to get in touch with me directly.
[01:09:35] Unknown:
My email is my name. The students decided it's a regular Gmail, but the student changed it. So it's [email protected].
[01:09:48] Unknown:
Alright. Anybody that wants to communicate to me is welcome. I love all of you there. That's great. And we'll make sure we have all that information in all of the complete show notes. Doctor Lerman, thank you so much for spending your evening with us. We really do appreciate Safra. Safra, thank you so much for spending your night with us. Really do appreciate that. And I will be in touch with you, and we can we can do something on the podcast side. Talk more Yes. To you. Let's do that again. Outstanding. Thank you very much. You're very welcome, ma'am. You have a great night now. Ladies and gentlemen, doctor Safra Lerman. Thank you so much, ma'am. You have a great night.
Okay. Bye. Bye bye now. Alright, folks. Let me tell you something. We're gonna take a break here in about a second because I need to get more coffee, and I need to get my $17.75 coffee. Now if you still haven't tried seventeen seventy five coffee, now is the time to do it. The seventeen seventy five starter kit just dropped only 1,000 units. That's it. Just a thousand units. And you are gonna get some great coffee. You're getting the bold dark roast, which is what I have right here. And when I tell you that thing hits hard, it hits harder than a CNN fact check. Then you have the smooth medium roast, the vitality mushroom coffee for clean energy and laser focus with no crash. All the coffees are single origin, small batch, toxin free, mold free, and roach free.
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This is the one for, the folks that have been watching seventeen seventy five blow up on Rumble, wondering if it's actually worth it. The spoiler here it is, absolutely is. Wonderful coffee. I love it. I have it several times a day. That's why I'm so jittery sometimes when we do the show. But, you gotta try it, folks. Go to 1775coffee.com/studio and grab your starter kit before they're gone. That's $17.75 coffee dot com slash studio. Bold beans, clean fuel, and a morning routine that stands for something just like rumble does. Start your day with coffee that actually backs what you believe. 1775coffee.com/studio. Alright, folks. So what we'll do here is we're gonna take a, a very short break. I'm gonna go get some more of my seventeen seventy five coffee. Come back, just touch a few quick things, and then, we are going to, call it a night, and then we'll be back here with you tomorrow night at 7PM.
Alright, folks. So just, stick around for just two minutes. We'll be right back, and, God bless you. That was a great conversation. That was amazing. Looking forward to it again. Alright, folks. We'll be back right after this. Just stay with us. Alright, folks. Welcome back to the Joe Root Show. Hour number one is in the books. Here we are coming on into hour numero dos for all of our Spanish speaking friends. So what'd you think of Doctor. Luhrmann? That was amazing, right? I'm telling you, I really enjoyed that. That was a lot of fun. And, what a remarkable life. What a remarkable story.
And you know something? It just blows me away that we actually had a Nobel Peace Prize nominee on this show. How amazing how amazing is that? That is absolutely incredible. Well, folks, just wanted to, just quickly remind you guys of just a couple little things here. You know, this is a, a value for value podcast. And basically, what that means is that, we are totally dependent upon our listeners for their support. So if you could, if you have the means to do it, if you're able to do it, we would really appreciate it if you could help us out in covering some of our expenses. And you could do that by making a donation. You can make a donation of a one time donation in any amount you feel appropriate based on the value that you receive from watching the show. You could also, do a monthly recurring donation, based on the values that you receive from the show. You could also sign up to one of our producer tiers. We have our associate producer tier for $17.76 a month. You also we also have our producer tier for $18.36 a month. And then we have our two executive producer tiers, the $25 tier and the $50 tier, all recurring monthly donations.
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You know, we're all over the place. And also the the modern podcasting two point o platforms where you can actually integrate your crypto wallet into your accounts on there, and you can actually send us little boosts, Satoshis, sats during the course of the show. So if you're listening live or you can send us, you can support us through that through through the modern two point o platforms. So check them out. They're really, really worth it, and we are incredibly thankful to everybody who's been helping us out. Alright. So, I didn't wanna let the night go by. I wanted to make a couple of comments on something here. So one of the biggest topics going on right now in Washington DC is the, the one big beautiful bill. Right? We're we all know what that that is. And yeah.
You know, so when you say it that way, it sounds like something you'd name a prize winning pig at the country fair. Right? But this isn't a pork barrel. Okay? This is what's called a reconciliation package. And, and the and the reason why I wanna bring that significant that that that, that difference up is because it is significant. Okay? People think that this is a a budget bill. It's not a budget bill. This is a reconciliation package. And basically, what it is, it's just, you know, it it's, you know, a reconciliation package package is what? It's, it it like I said, it's not a it's not a budget. Alright? I'm trying to think of the easiest way to explain this. A reconciliation package is is really a special kind of legislation that congress uses to fast track changes to taxes, spending, debt, bypassing the usual senate filibuster.
Alright. So, okay. So what does that mean, Joe? What's what does that mean in English? Talk to us here. Alright. So the translation is this, it's basically if you think of it like this, it's a political cheat code to get big stuff done with just 51 votes instead of 60 votes. And I'm telling you, they used it. Alright. They used it. So the, the one big beautiful bill was signed into law by president Trump on, July 3, and, and and in reality, the bill is a beast. It it really is. Some of the great things about it is it makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent. It, cuts jaw it's it, well, it it it's makes it 2017 I just lost my train of thought. It makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent, so basically protecting your paycheck from taking a huge hit, when they were set to expire.
It's, throwing tax breaks for, for tips. Right? Remember? No tax on tips. So shout out to all you servers out there. No tax on overtime. That's huge. Because you know that they tax overtime at a higher rate. Right? So now that's done. So it gets rid of the taxes on overtime, and it even takes away the taxes on auto loans. Alright? Plus, it bumps up the standard deduction by about a thousand dollars for a single person, $22,000 for married couples. It also jacks up the SALT deduction cap from 40,000, for folks earning under half a million. But, now here's the plot twist to that.
Alright? And this hasn't really gotten spoken about too much. The salt boost that we're talking about is only good for five years. Alright? For five years. Unless they can, you know, when the budget comes out, they can separate that thing out and they can make that into and to codify that into into tax law. Now it's not all tax cuts and confetti. Okay? The bill has some pretty interesting changes to it as well. So Medicaid is getting a makeover. Alright? And the makeover it's getting is involves work requirements for adults who can work. So no more just sitting back collecting collecting Medicaid benefits when you are capable of actually working.
Alright. Now you hear a lot of politicians saying, well, that's gonna leave 16,000,000 more people uninsured by 2034. Okay. Well, it's interesting the language that they use. Alright? Because some of the some of the biggest recipients of Medicaid are illegals. Alright? And the majority of that 16,000,000 that they're quoting is gonna get kicked off are illegals. Alright? So just keep that in mind. Snap or or, food stamps if you wanna be generic about it. It's also getting a little bit of a shake up. In that regard, it states are gonna actually start footing some of the bill for it. And, now now here's the downside to that. Alright? The, Congressional Budget Office, the CBO, says that this whole package could add $3,300,000,000,000 to the deficit over a decade.
Now the White House says, no. That's fake news. Alright? That's not gonna happen. But according to the CBO, those are the numbers. So I guess you will have to we'll we'll see where that goes. I tend to agree more with what the White House has to say about it than what the CBO says because partisan politics. Alright? And, of course, you got some folks complaining that, especially on the left that, you know, the rich aren't gonna be paying their fair share anymore. I'd, first of all, like to know what the fair share is, because, rich rich folks do pay quite a bit in taxes. Alright? And what a lot of people don't understand is that, you know, most folks who are wealthy are just using the existing tax system to their advantage.
And I don't care, to be quite honest with you. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. If somebody whether the even if they inherited the money, they didn't earn it for themselves, or they worked hard and and made their money, made their fortune, God bless them. Good for you. I'm happy for you. I don't want your money. Don't want it. Don't need it. Don't care about it. You know my position on taxation in the first place? It's theft. It's immoral, and it needs to go away entirely. That's why I'm fully supportive of president Trump when he said that he was going to, you know, through the tariffs, he was going to eliminate the IRS.
Well, on the campaign trail though, he said he was gonna eliminate it altogether. Now he said now he's saying that for he's gonna eliminate, federal income tax for, how for for for folks that make less than $200,000 a year. It's a start. Great. Appreciate that. Wanna see that happen, but but I'd rather see the IRS obliterated completely and gone, because taxation is theft. People say, well, how do you say it's theft? You know, it's paying for this, it's paying for that, it's paying for this. It's theft when the government comes to you, basically puts a gun to your head and says, you either pay us, or we're gonna put you in jail.
Alright? That's robbery. That's theft. Alright? And if all these liberals are so excited about paying taxes and wanna keep paying taxes, wanna pay tax tax tax tax tax tax tax, did you know that you could actually voluntarily on your income tax return say that you wanna pay more and pay more. Did you know you could do that? Yeah, you can. You can. And if you feel that you're not paying enough in taxes, then pay more. Go right ahead. Leave me alone. Plain and simple. I don't want the federal government in my life. I go with what the founding generation's view of the central government as what they called it.
And that that was that the activities of the central government should have absolutely zero impact, zero goose eggs, zero impact on my everyday life and your everyday life. Zero impact. So if you wanna pay more in taxes, go right ahead. I don't. I want the government out of my life as much as possible. You're an anarchist. No, I'm not. Because I advocate for central I act advocate for state government, local government. So there it is. Anyway, off on a on a on a rabbit trail there. So, they say that the wealthiest households will be looking at a $12,000 boost.
The poorest could lose $1,600 a year, thanks to the cuts in Medicaid and and food aid, which, you know, come on. That's not that's not I I don't believe that for a second. Alright. And then what about the middle class folks? You know, the average everyday folks like you and I. Well, you know, you'll be getting that that modest 500 to $1,500 tax break. Beautiful. That's great. So I guess, you know, depending on your bank account, this bill's either a high five or it's gonna be a total gut punch to you. We'll see.
Okay? I tend to I I I tend to trust president Trump and his decisions, and if on on financial matters because so far he's been proven right in everything he's been doing. So that's where I stand on that. But this bill itself, it it barely squeaked through the congress. It it passed congress at, 02/18 to two '14 in the house. And then, of course, in the senate, our vice president, our great vice president and future president of These United States, JD Vance, had to get involved. He had to roll up his sleeves. He had to cast out the tie breaking vote. Democrats were completely against it, completely united against it, which you would expect.
Okay? And and because the first of all, it's a it's an I hate Trump thing. That's one. And the one thing the Democrats are very good at is when the party says, this is how you are going to speak, and this is what you're going to say, and this is how you're going to vote. They jump right in line and they gooshed up right along the way. Whereas, on the Republican side, on the conservative side, you know, there was bickering, there was arguing, there was debate, which is healthy, which is important, which is what you need. We bickered over the social programs. We bickered over the price of the of the taxes. We bickered over these things, which is healthy. You're supposed to do that.
But ultimately, everything, you know, the Republicans gathered up, came together, push this thing through, and now the big beautiful bill is law. So overall, I would say this is a big win for president Trump, in a lot of ways, and it it's got everybody talking about it, everybody talking from Wall Street to Main Street. So, my question to you, folks, and I really would like your opinion on this, and we're gonna close the show out right after this, but I really would like your opinion on it. What do you think about the big beautiful bill?
Is it still big and beautiful, or is it just a big mess? I mean, I guess we're gonna find out soon enough. Right? But in the meantime, drop a comment down below, shoot us an email at [email protected]. [email protected]. Alright, folks. I think that's gonna be it for us for tonight. Now, as always, our shout outs to our executive producers, Wayne and Rosanna Rankin and Carolina Jimenez. Thank you so much for what you guys have done for us. God bless you for it. Thank you. Also, a huge shout out to our producer, anonymous Angela. We're gonna have to give her a promotion soon. Anonymous Angela, thank you for all the work you've been doing, especially with the bookings. It's been a lot. Thank you.
Alright, folks. Don't forget to head over to joeroos.com. Drop us a comment. Let us know what you think. Donation page, if you can help us out, we'd really appreciate it. We will see you tomorrow night at 7PM. Folks, make make Texas independence independent again. Go podcasting. Keep a steady stride, and we will see you tomorrow night. Good night, folks, and goodbye.
Introduction and Technical Difficulties
Show Highlights and Guest Introduction
Interview with Dr. Zafra Lerman Begins
Science as a Tool for Peace
Teaching Science Through Art
Cultural and Political Discussions
Conclusion and Contact Information