War Crimes, Chávez Allegations, Cuba Fallout, and the Student Loan Rage Cycle

Viewer Feedback, War Headlines, César Chávez Allegations, and Student Loan Anger

Carmen and Andrea open the episode by talking through viewer reactions to last week’s history‑heavy conversation with Kenny Morris — what worked, what didn’t, and how they’re thinking about guests going forward without adding unnecessary editing chaos. They remind listeners they’re not journalists, but they read, they pay attention, and they want their audience to double‑check everything for themselves. 

From there, they move into a fast run of major headlines: the Capitol Hill memorial for children killed in a U.S. strike that almost no lawmakers attended, Democrats calling the strike a war crime, Senate escalation talk, a potential $200B Pentagon request, Israel–Iran retaliation and oil price spikes, and deaths in the West Bank. They also dig into Trump‑era incompetence, the way the Epstein files are being used as distraction, and a new report accusing César Chávez of sexual abuse and the debate over removing honors in his name.

Carmen and Andrea then shift to the U.S. sanctions tied to Cuba’s power crisis before closing with a heated, grounded conversation about predatory student loans, forgiveness disparities, and why compassion has to come before judgment.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share.  

You can now watch the livestream version of the show on YouTube at @CarmenLezeth 

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Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER:  As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast.  Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance. 

Transcript

[00:00:00] Carmen: how you doing?

[00:00:01] Andrea: I'm okay. How are you?

[00:00:03] Carmen: I'm doing good. You don't seem Okay.

[00:00:09] Andrea: Neither to you.

[00:00:11] Carmen: I'm, I'm really happy. I'm totally happy. I'm not, um, you know what, I, I sent you kind of a, a, a little itinerary of what we're gonna talk about, but you could tell I was already exhausted. Um. By just the sheer amount of stuff that we could talk about. And so I kind of pushed that aside.

[00:00:34] But I do wanna start with, just reading two letters that we got, not two letters, two comments we got from viewers. I bought our show last week with Kenny, um, so with Kenny Morris from the Frederick Douglas Family Initiatives Organization. so 

[00:00:50] Annie in California wrote in and said, I liked the interview last week, but I kind of missed the regular show. I usually listen because it helps me understand what's going on from people who [00:01:00] sound like well us. So I was hoping for more of that. And then Melanie, who actually is always on the Friday night Live, she actually posted on our YouTube, she's in Pennsylvania.

[00:01:10] She wrote, I enjoyed this broadcast. I would like to hear more history broadcasts. This one. So I, I think it's kind of interesting because we got a lot of views and I, I posted it twice, right? It's something I don't normally do, but because it was an interview, I also posted it again on Sunday. The private lounge folks who watch that, and 

[00:01:32] Look, it we're just two girls hanging out, chitchatting about what's going on. Um, and Kenny came up as a fluke and then he agreed to come on the show. And so it was a thing, but the only reason why I won't ever probably do it again. We'll do it again. We'll have, people on the show again, but we'll have to record it at a different, on a different day.

[00:01:55] 'cause that was, I was like down to the wire. I was five [00:02:00] minutes before broadcast because of all the editing. 'cause it's three of us and

[00:02:04] Andrea: Oh yeah.

[00:02:05] Carmen: it was really painful. So, yeah. So I just wanted to share that with you and see what your thoughts were on that.

[00:02:11] Andrea: look, I think it's great. Um, I don't think that you and I probably know too many more people who could come and speak on history, isn't to say we couldn't find some, you know, historians, please come and talk to us. Um. I mean, I enjoyed it 'cause I, he was fantastic and I loved hearing about all that.

[00:02:32] And as we said after like, you know, you had like three pages of questions. I had more questions that I could have. I mean, we could have gone on and on and on. So I think you and I both enjoyed it and I think. You know? Yeah, I mean the, the regular show, what we normally do is us, as we've said multiple times, like we would still be having this conversation if we were on the phone.

[00:02:52] This just happens to be put out there for everybody. Um, but, you know, we are multifaceted people [00:03:00] and we can have a conversation

[00:03:03] Carmen: Yeah.

[00:03:03] Andrea: with someone like that. And I think, you know, it's important to, to put. Some context to some of these things that we talk about and certainly because you already had this connection, um, I thought that was great, so

[00:03:16] Carmen: Yeah, I think we probably could have a lot of other people on the show and that may happen if it comes up organically. and I have no problem with that. I just, um, I. I don't know any more history as people, but I know what Melanie means, you know what I mean? Like, I think some people love the politics of it because it's a quick way.

[00:03:36] Even Cynthia had mentioned, she's like, I just watch you guys now 'cause I can get the basic topics or whatever. And you kind of push back. Like we, we're not trying to be a news source, but we're telling you what we know and I don't wanna be a journalist or a news source. I do want people to understand some of the stuff you're consuming because it's [00:04:00] wrong.

[00:04:03] Andrea: I mean, I am a little like, uh, you know, like, don't come to us for the news. Like, uh, that's a little, um, uncomfortable I guess for me because neither one of us are journalists and it's not, you know, whatever we're saying, as we've talked about multiple times, is coming through our lens. Like I'm only seeing the stuff that's in my feed or that I go out and look for or whatever.

[00:04:24] And so there's just a certain. Angle, obviously. Um, and we're not out there doing the research or the interviews or the, you know, all of those kinds of things necessarily. Right. Um, in the same way that, uh, hopefully most

[00:04:39] Carmen: Well, I mean, you know, look it, I think the landscape's changed. That's why you saw my face. I'm gonna push back a little bit. We're not journalists. We, I've never said we are. Um, but I also think if I am watching Fox News, they're not fucking journalists either. I'm sorry. You know what I mean? Like, but that's my point.

[00:04:58] And so it's kind of like, even [00:05:00] though. I would never pretend to be a journalist. I also think that you and I, we said it last week and somebody commented on this like, or it was like two weeks ago. We were like, and we read like, and I think that's kind of the difference. Like if you're going to listen to us because there's kind of a funny, or you like how we say things or we bring up things.

[00:05:24] Usually because we've done some research and read on it. But you should also do your own. You should also do your own research. And the only reason why I push back is there's a lot of independent journalists out there. Now, some of them are amazing, a lot of them suck. You know what I mean? and so you have to be, you have to be the person to find out who is that?

[00:05:46] Like, who are they? Are they entertainers? Are they being really truthful and honest about where they're coming from? Again, you and I have never been like, listen to us 'cause we're the real news. You know, we've never done that. [00:06:00] So, um, but I mean, I, I hear you, but I actually appreciate that people, you know, whether it's Cynthia or, or Annie or, uh, whoever else, I think what they're saying is.

[00:06:12] They're getting the bits and pieces of information that maybe they're not interest. Most people don't watch the news like we do or read the news like we do, Andrea, you do know that, right?

[00:06:22] Andrea: Yeah.

[00:06:22] Carmen: It's pretty evident I think in our country today.

[00:06:25] Andrea: Yeah.

[00:06:26] Carmen: Most people are not paying attention. So, um, with that said, let me give you a full rundown of the news.

[00:06:33] I'm saying this because one of the topics we're gonna talk about is, the incompetence level. I am just gonna show this is what's happening in the news today. These are all of the headlines. These, this is what I've written down, just what I was able to come up with. So I'm just gonna say them quickly.

[00:06:53] So, there was a memorial on Capitol Hill, for the children that were killed in the US strike, right? The G [00:07:00] in Iran. I, Iran, sorry. and no Republicans joined in. Wait in only nine other legislators like, uh, Democrats came

[00:07:12] I'm like, that's a big deal. But see, we don't care about lives.

[00:07:16] We don't care. That's our responsibility.

[00:07:19] Andrea: about lies. And I'm sure, well, obviously the Republicans have a. You know, they're doing what they're doing, and I think Democrats sadly are making a political calculation, like, how is this gonna look? You know, how are they going to use this against me? As opposed to coming from the pla place of your actual ethics.

[00:07:38] Unless of course your actual ethics are like, I don't care about Iranian lives.

[00:07:43] Carmen: right.

[00:07:43] Andrea: In which case,

[00:07:44] Carmen: Which is right. Um, several democrats publicly described the strike as a war crime, and we we're, we're so knee deep in all this crap. Um, Senate speeches continued pushing for escalation, and the Pentagon [00:08:00] is preparing a request for an additional wait for it. $200 billion in funding. Come on now. Okay.

[00:08:11] Israel and Iran continue retaliatory. I don't know why I write words down that I can't actually say strikes, including attacks on energy infrastructure, oil prices have spiked after the attacks on Gulf facilities. three Palestinian women were killed in the West Bank. By falling shrapnel and the falling shrapnel is being, it depends on what side Israelis are saying that it was due to Iranian and then Iran, you know what I mean?

[00:08:42] Like it's just, it's so bad. All of it is so bad. And again, nobody cares 'cause it's, you know. Not a, a white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm just gonna say it. You know what I mean? An American beautiful little girl. Um, in your estimation, not yours, mark Wayne [00:09:00] Mullin was, oh my God, I Okay. Just incompetence.

[00:09:06] But he was at the DH he was having the confirmation hearings, and it went so badly.

[00:09:12] Um, he faced aggressive questioning about past insults, violent rhetoric and temperament. Did you see that with, um, with Rand Paul? I was dying laughing. Like I had read that and then I had to go back and watch it and I'm like, oh my God, what is I, I had no idea all that was going on.

[00:09:32] He was pressed on comments praising historical political violence. he declined to fully apologize for inflammatory statements about recent killings. Alex Prety for one, he wouldn't apologize for that because, you know, that would show moral character for what he was calling him. and let's just.

[00:09:51] Quickly, Tulsi Gabbard contradicted Trump in a written statement about Iran's nuclear. Did you watch that? [00:10:00] I watched that segment too.

[00:10:02] Andrea: I didn't, I didn't watch, I watched some of her, but I didn't see that particular piece.

[00:10:07] Carmen: Seriously? She might be, I might hate her the most, and just because we would do this on our phone call, she need what is with her skin Like.

[00:10:21] Andrea: I swear to God, I saw it on my phone and I was like, what the fuck?

[00:10:26] Carmen: I know like even when they do a close, this is, this is totally pure. Carmen and 

[00:10:31] Andrea: very petty, but this is what we would

[00:10:33] talk 

[00:10:33] Carmen: is what we talk about. Like even Trump, why is it people that have the most money do not know how to take care of themselves? Like it's not even his face makeup, it's his fucking skin shit. Like I.

[00:10:47] Andrea: you have enough money to go do the lasers or at minimum get a decent fucking primer. Like what is happening right now?

[00:10:55] Carmen: I know moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I cannot emphasize [00:11:00] it enough.

[00:11:00] Andrea: Seriously, folks, like why are we subjected to this?

[00:11:04] Carmen: know. Like on top of you being incompetent, why do you have to look so bad? I swear to God, when I was watching tulsi, I was like, I can't handle it. Anyways. I

[00:11:15] Andrea: truly like this big on my phone and I was like, what is going on with her

[00:11:21] Carmen: I know we're so petty. You know what? We're gonna get really bad feedback, but again, two girls talking on the phone is what we'd be talking about. We are, we're totally this petty. 

[00:11:31] Andrea: We are, and my skin is no picnic either, so I'm just saying

[00:11:36] Carmen: What do you mean your skin is fine?

[00:11:39] Andrea: Go

[00:11:40] Carmen: My skin perfect. Okay. All the time. Perfect. Okay. Lovely. I ain't even playing with it. Okay. Um, this is on a serious note. Caesar Chavez. Accused of sexual abuse in major investigative report. [00:12:00] And I mean for those of you who don't know, he is not alive. So this is posthumously, um, Dolores Huertas, who's 93 years old and was like the right hand person, actually, we're just gonna change everything to her.

[00:12:14] That's what's gonna happen because clearly, but she came out and talked about the abuse she received from I Am Shook, and then I'm not.

[00:12:25] Andrea: Exactly, exactly that. Like, oh, this one got me 'cause it all came out yesterday. And then I read her statement and I, you know, my grandparents and great-grandparents were farm workers. I lived in Central California while a lot of this stuff was happening. And so this is very. Ingrained in sort of my understanding of California

[00:12:48] Carmen: and unions and,

[00:12:50] Andrea: unions, all of that.

[00:12:51] And he was revered. Revered. We have, like for people who don't know, we have a [00:13:00] holiday in California for this man.

[00:13:04] Carmen: They're changing that.

[00:13:05] Andrea: Well, yes. Well, and okay, so I'm glad you brought that up because we fucking addressed this shit immediately.

[00:13:14] Carmen: Yes. When you say we, please be clear of what you're talking about.

[00:13:19] Andrea: uh, people on the left side of the spectrum, Democrats

[00:13:25] Carmen: The

[00:13:25] Andrea: libs, right? We heard about this, you know, learned about it. Apparently it was like a five year investigation and immediately within hours, people were calling for the schools and the streets and the holiday. To be changed.

[00:13:44] Carmen: And all that's work. And that's happening. I mean, all of that is in the works.

[00:13:47] Andrea: don't allow sexual predators to be revered.

[00:13:51] Carmen: Epstein files. I just

[00:13:53] Andrea: Learn a fucking lesson here, people. Jesus Christ. Oh my God. Yeah.

[00:13:57] Carmen: It, it is, and, and here's the thing, it's also just, [00:14:00] it's devastating, right? It's, it's hearing somebody who was not just revered, but considered a hero. and it's not that people didn't believe the other women that came out. To have a 93-year-old woman who worked by his side, and it just, it, it, it just broke me.

[00:14:22] I was

[00:14:22] Andrea: Had two of his children.

[00:14:25] Carmen: Yeah. Oh my God,

[00:14:27] Andrea: Who were raised by other people, and I think this is a really important point, right? She didn't come out with this back in the day or any other point along the way because her commitment to the movement was such that she felt it would be damaging. She had to suppress and hide all of that because.

[00:14:49] Her commitment to rights for farm workers was so strong that she felt that was more important.

[00:14:57] Carmen: And she did. She had from both of [00:15:00] those, did she call them rapes? I don't know. Like I don't.

[00:15:06] Andrea: I think she specifically said this, like first was maybe more of a coercion. Second one was definitely a rape.

[00:15:12] Carmen: So from both of those incidents, she ended up becoming pregnant and had two children. I mean the, you know what I, I say this all the time. Women need to rule the world. I am tired of the idea that men have some superior ability to do anything better than women. She didn't just sacrifice, right. She didn't just sacrifice and deal with this because it was more important to movement.

[00:15:44] She also did it for her children, like she did it. 'cause then she had other children. Right? 'cause she, 

[00:15:49] Andrea: Yes. You already had other children?

[00:15:51] Carmen: Right. Oh my God. So this is my point is like. If you question like Hillary Clinton or Kamala [00:16:00] Har Harris, or just women in general being in charge of things, I, I don't know why you have that idea except that you are misogynistic.

[00:16:10] 'cause it doesn't pan out in the facts in any way, shape, or form. It just, it doesn't matter. And I'm sorry to make it about this, but it's just so devastating to hear. I mean, I read her statement too and I was fucking crying and I was like, this is, you know, let's get back to the other point that you made that I think is actually really important.

[00:16:31] Yes. Say it again. Libs like you stupid Republican Trump. People who are constantly acting as if we are the ones who don't do things correctly. It was immediate and everyone, everybody who was a, a democrat or a liberal or on any side of it were like, immediately, we're done out. What do we have to do to fix this?

[00:16:58] Blah, blah, blah, blah. [00:17:00] Everyone.

[00:17:01] Andrea: It's barely been 24 hours that the story has been out, I think roughly Right. And it's already has its own tailwind of like, okay, he, he's erased.

[00:17:14] Carmen: So, I mean, Dolores.

[00:17:16] Andrea: And I think, you know, and I think it's a good point, right? Like, uh, you know, a lot of the people on, you know, the MAGA folks, and even, even just plain old conservative Republicans, there's all of this like, you know, sexual predators and, and, uh, pedophiles and all that kind. You have uplifted those people and never addressed it.

[00:17:39] And here us, you know, the like coastal elites and you know, people with no morals and all of that. You know who we love, the gay people and the trans people and all of that.

[00:17:50] Carmen: We do.

[00:17:51] Andrea: we take, yes we do. We take care of our business immediately.

[00:17:56] Carmen: I think it's also because, well, I mean to admit that, [00:18:00] we have to admit that Donald Trump is a sexual predator, right? I mean, they don't want to admit, and this has nothing, this is not even about the Epstein files. All the crappy said before. And what grown man owns the teen, miss USA, whatever. And like, I don't know, there's just so much in there that bothers me.

[00:18:19] But forget all that. Just all the crimes. All the crimes, you know? I mean, but to admit any of that, I mean, even the way he talked about his daughter, which is a fact. It's not, it's icky, it's gross. And yet they uplift it because to to admit it would mean to admit that you. Approve of it. That's why the Epstein files are an interesting thing, and yet they're still dodging, they're still trying to figure out ways to cover up or justify it, and it's.

[00:18:54] It's so odd to, to watch, to hear, you know, to see people [00:19:00] be so okay with it. And then try to say that as Democrats we're the ones who are doing something wrong. Democrats are the most patriotic people right now. They are also the most, um, sincere and trying to deal with the ramifications of the major mistakes y'all made. electing this man into office and his incompetent administration, like beyond belief, incompetent

[00:19:32] Andrea: Yeah, well, the incompetence, I think it's. There, you know, there are two, two things about that, right? First is, there's one criteria for being a part of this administration, right? And that is your willingness to kiss this guy's ass right? To, to lie and to humiliate yourself, whatever it takes to, to build him up constantly, daily, [00:20:00] right?

[00:20:01] And, and so, uh. If you're that kind of person, number one, you're in it for the grift of your own, your own grift, right? Like you're there for your own reasons and you, you're willing to do whatever it takes to, you know, make your million or billion or whatever it is, right? Um. So incompetence is not a part of the equation when they are choosing these people, obviously.

[00:20:27] And I also think it's it, it goes along with the whole, like the cruelty is the point. Like the incompetency is the point. It's an in your face look, we can do whatever the fuck we want. It doesn't matter if we're a competent or not. It doesn't matter if we're lying to you every day. It doesn't matter 

[00:20:44] Carmen: I know, but why 

[00:20:45] Andrea: because we have the power.

[00:20:46] Carmen: want to support that? I, I get what Trump is doing and why the people are doing it. I'm confused why people continue to support him. I don't even get it. Regular [00:21:00] people.

[00:21:00] Andrea: know. Like that, that's, I mean that's, that is the mystery, right? I mean, and I, I think that there is a certain portion of the population, let's call it 30%, um,

[00:21:12] Carmen: Is it even 30% now? Is it 30%?

[00:21:14] Andrea: I don't know. I think roughly it's probably stays right about 30%, right? Who feel like, yeah, I want that too. I, I, I all in, as long as I could get mine, as long as I can, you know, abuse these people who I don't like.

[00:21:31] I, I think there is a portion of, of the population and I, like, I actually read something today. It's almost like even in other societies and you know, things like that. Uh, there's roughly like 30% who have this like authoritarian bent and they just don't give a fuck.

[00:21:53] Carmen: It. I get sad because I, you know, I still wanna have faith in the American people. And I, I've said it a million times. I [00:22:00] don't anymore. 'cause I'm, I'm shook it, you know?

[00:22:02] Andrea: Well, you can have faith in a lot of people, but yeah, I mean like it's the basket full of deplorables, right? Like there are some people who are just.

[00:22:11] Carmen: I know, but you are colder than I am, so lemme just say

[00:22:14] my, that's true. I have much more love for the people that I feel are, I mean, the irony is, is the people that keep supporting him are the people that he's hurting the most.

[00:22:28] Andrea: So, okay. I'm sure you saw this video, it was all over the place yesterday, right? 

[00:22:32] If you could say something to President Trump and he was gonna hear you right now, what would it be? You are a worthless pile of, and you voted for him how many times? Three times. That was my bad. Apparently I'm an idiot.

[00:22:48] Andrea: And it was like the guy, some reporter asking a white lady, like, what would you say to President Trump? And I don't even remember what she said, like, you're.

[00:22:55] Carmen: She said I voted for him three times. My bad.[00:23:00] 

[00:23:00] Andrea: she was like, you're, you're pile of shit, or

[00:23:02] something 

[00:23:03] Carmen: said You're a pile of

[00:23:04] Andrea: And then she said, I voted for him three times. I guess I'm the idiot. And I'm like, no bitch, you're actually the pile of shit.

[00:23:12] Carmen: Oh,

[00:23:12] Andrea: It's you. It's fucking you.

[00:23:15] Carmen: okay. Okay. But okay. This is the difference between you and me. Okay. I was like, I know, but I was like, okay. She figured it out fine. She's back on track. We can deal with the, I told you, I, what is the point, Andrea?

[00:23:38] Andrea: I look, I'm just saying

[00:23:40] Carmen: You're angry and

[00:23:41] Andrea: Accept.

[00:23:43] Carmen: She did. She did.

[00:23:44] She said, my

[00:23:45] Andrea: you're an idiot, but you are also the pile of shit. And here's the thing that I would say about that, right? She's pissed off because her gas is expensive. Right. Is she still probably gonna vote [00:24:00] Republican? I bet

[00:24:01] Carmen: I dunno. I

[00:24:02] Andrea: Did she care? Did she care about, uh, the ice kidnappings or the murder of US citizens?

[00:24:09] Does she care about any of that stuff? No.

[00:24:12] Carmen: What do you want people to do who have found the light? What do you want them to do in order? I mean, I understand what you're saying, but here I saw it very differently. First of all, I thought it was hilarious. She did say, my bad. Which I just have to say when? When like white women of a certain age try to be cool.

[00:24:34] It's not cool, right? Like, but it was fine because she was so upset. Do I think she cared about what was happening to Latinos who were being chased by ice or still being chased by ice? Um. Probably not, and here's why. Because she didn't think that's what was happening. That's what she, that's not what they're seeing.

[00:24:57] They're seeing them all as, you know, [00:25:00] murderers and criminals and whatever. I am not making excuses for her. I'm saying that's part of the, the blindness of it all, is that they keep finding ways to justify the cruelty, the nastiness, the horribleness that is Trump. They even, like, even the farmers were like, okay, with the tariffs at the beginning.

[00:25:19] Like, because they didn't know what the tariffs were and now the farmers are all upset about it and I could be angry with them and be like, yeah, but did you not care about 15 other things? Look it, most people are not. I've said this a million times, it's part of my next book. People think they're compassionate.

[00:25:37] People think they have empathy. People, everyone thinks they're a good fucking person, but most people don't evaluate who they actually are in the moment that it matters. Compassion means you have to be able to walk in someone else's shoes before you make a fucking decision about something, not after the fact.

[00:25:59] You [00:26:00] need to be able to see when it's really hard to see not after the fact. You know what I mean? So I, I know what you're saying, but I, I just, I need people to. To figure it out so we can try to get through this and then I will fucking ream them all when they're in clear-eyed, you know what I mean?

[00:26:20] That's where I'm coming from.

[00:26:21] Andrea: Yeah. I mean, look, I do, I know what's in this woman's heart. Probably not.

[00:26:28] Carmen: I dunno what's in her heart either.

[00:26:30] Andrea: right? I'm just saying like, I, you know, I don't know. Do I know how she's gonna vote? No, I don't. You know, all of those things. But I, I also feel like. When you ask what do I want? We've talked about this before, right? Like, I need, I need full on contrition and not just a, my bad.

[00:26:50] Carmen: look and it was a clip. I don't know what the whole conversation was.

[00:26:54] Andrea: I know, I know, but I'm, that's, that's what I'm looking for. Like, and even then, we talked [00:27:00] about this before, I'm still not gonna trust you. I'm still not

[00:27:02] Carmen: not. Of course not,

[00:27:04] Andrea: Right. Like you need to actively be working in the other direction for me to even consider that. Maybe you are worth me listening to in that way, right?

[00:27:16] But I'm still never gonna trust you because if you voted for Trump three times, there's something wrong with you in the head. You are not the kind of person I can relate to.

[00:27:29] Carmen: Right, and I'm just gonna say to make it easier for some people who have voted for Trump for three times, who might be now wavering and understanding is. There is a, and I know Andrea, if, if Andrea was in front of me right now, I'm telling you there would be a smack upside my head for what I'm about to say.

[00:27:46] So I'm just gonna be grateful that we own this conversation in different homes and everything. Um, what Trump was great at being able to do was not just manipulate [00:28:00] people and find the thing that helps you believe everything he says. There is part of this cult-like mentality that happens to people. It happens in religions, it happens in, you know what I mean?

[00:28:15] And I do think a lot, and that's not to take away responsibility from people. It's to say, I do see how. A lot of people were swept into that. I don't know how you did it three times. I don't know. I don't know how much my heart can give with that. But there is something that psychologists talk about, and I'm not a psychologist, I'm not a doctor.

[00:28:40] Uh, an effect that happened and, and I hate to bring up the racism thing 'cause I know that throws a lot of people. But if you are able to look at racism or misogyny or your homophobia, if you're able to look at yourself objectively in the mirror and say, how do I [00:29:00] feel about a black man dating my white daughter or whatever, and have a real conversation with yourself about it, you can probably make a logical understanding as to why maybe you were, uh.

[00:29:16] I don't know what the right word is, but you were kind of like, oh, Trump is talking my language. You know, when he talked about Mexicanos being murderers and rapists or whatever he said, or talking about how he can touch women or grab them by the whatever whenever he wants, and how you were okay with that because locker room talk, we would never want that from any.

[00:29:39] Person who represents our country, we would never expect that from people who lead us. And yet you were able to do that. Um, so if you can have that conversation with yourself, you can figure out how you were easily swayed into this bullshittery. That's all I'm saying.[00:30:00] 

[00:30:00] Andrea: Okay.

[00:30:01] Carmen: Yeah. And Andrea's not gonna have it. I know. And would've hit me four times already. So we just, I'm.

[00:30:07] Andrea: I mean, look, I think if people were willing and able to have that conversation. There would be a much smaller percentage

[00:30:19] Carmen: Okay, it's growth and we're moving in the right direction.

[00:30:22] Andrea: I would absolutely, I no one would be more thrilled than me if these folks could have that kind of conversation with themselves.

[00:30:30] Carmen: okay. Well, let's just give them some breathing room to do that.

[00:30:36] Andrea: No, no, no, no, no. And here's why.

[00:30:38] Carmen: Oh no,

[00:30:40] Andrea: Like one of the things that you say over and over again, and I totally agree with you, is it's not even just Trump. It's all of the people who are complicit. It's all of the people who enable him, and these are the fucking people who have enabled him,

[00:30:58] Carmen: But that's not who I'm talking about. [00:31:00] 

[00:31:00] Andrea: but, but they are the

[00:31:02] Carmen: I know. I know, but, okay, so there, let me, let me clarify. If you're gonna be quoting my ass in front of me, let me just clarify. The people who know better who are in Congress, not regular people who are making minimum wage or whatever, those people I'm saying, there's a possibility that the reason why you got hooked in can be logically understood if you turned around and did a little analysis of yourself.

[00:31:30] That's not what you're talking about. I'm not talking, I think every fucking senator, every house of representative person, every person in this cabinet who supported him, and they all know better. No, I have no, they're, they're, I'm not talking about them. I am not talking.

[00:31:47] I'm still angry with fucking Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, who's half dead and these motherfuckers, 'cause I blame them and I hope they have horrible, horrible lives.

[00:31:58] I wish them complete [00:32:00] and utter pain and yuckiness for the rest of their lives. 'cause they're the reason why they're here. I'm sorry.

[00:32:08] Andrea: I'm just saying I have a big tent for the enablers. That's what

[00:32:12] Carmen: And I have a more forgiving heart when it comes to. Some of the

[00:32:17] Andrea: percent true.

[00:32:18] We've already established you 

[00:32:20] Carmen: little people like ourselves, hardworking people who might have gotten duped. That's not an excuse. It's not an excuse. It still means you have to take responsibility, but you can see the logic behind it.

[00:32:30] Andrea: Look here. Perfect example, right? Like Cesar Chavez, right?

[00:32:36] Were we all sort of duped, you know, I don't know if duped is the right word, but we all believed in who this, you know, like that sort of the hero that this person was meant to be, right? You deal with it immediately. You don't fucking vote for him three times and go, my bad, like, no,

[00:32:55] Carmen: Alright. Okay. I think people get the point. I [00:33:00] know Andrea, I look at, I agree with you, but we're, we're, we're not sucked into the cult of it. That's the, we're not sucked into. That part of it. I don't have some deep seated issue or grievance or connection in a way that I might be swayed. You know what I mean?

[00:33:18] Like, I don't know how to explain it. And, and I'm, I've done a good self-analysis of myself. I don't know how else to say it. I know who I am. I know what I believe. I know what I will tolerate. We said it before and I know we keep saying that because we have to just keep repeating it. You know, if Barack Obama.

[00:33:37] It's kind of the same thing. If Barack Obama had done anything wrong, we'd be done.

[00:33:43] Andrea: Yeah.

[00:33:44] Carmen: You know? Um, and you and I had this experience with fucking Bill Clinton when he was in office. It was a tough time, but we wanted him to be held accountable. We were pissed or whatever. And we love, loved, loved Bill Clinton.

[00:33:59] And now we still, [00:34:00] you know, we still give him his creds or whatever, but something happened there. Little change,

[00:34:05] Andrea: Yep.

[00:34:06] Carmen: you know? Um. Lemme just finish with this little list. Uh, 'cause I think it's important to just get it out. Um. Pam Bondy, uh, the impeachment stuff is intensifying. I don't care whether Pam Bondy gets impeached.

[00:34:22] I, I'm still all about Donald Trump because I think, you know, she's been around him since she was a little girl. Again, gross. It's gross. All of it's gross. So I just, to me, I'm like until the leader gets his due, all of these other things to me are important, but there's still a show. And the last thing

[00:34:42] I. 

[00:34:43] Andrea: of impeaching or, you know, moving people out of the administration. Like, look at Christie Nome, right? Like

[00:34:50] Carmen: Well, she was an

[00:34:50] Andrea: lives, were out for her. She's gone, and who are they trying to throw in? Like if you get rid of one, it's just another ridiculous person popping up

[00:34:59] Carmen: well, [00:35:00] Mark Wayne Mullen, he's, he's. I don't know, between the two of them, Christie Nome and him, I'm like, you both suck on so many.

[00:35:11] Andrea: That's what I'm saying.

[00:35:12] Carmen: Yeah, it's the incompetence. Um, the last thing I'm gonna talk about is Cuba, and the nationwide power failures, fuel shortages. All of this has to do with Venezuela.

[00:35:23] I mean, and. I am just shook that the people of Cuba, and by the way, if you watched me and Billy, I don't know if we talked about Cuba, but let me, I ain't got much love for people from Cuba. Okay. Because they tend to vote it for Trump, but we don't want this happening to any country. And, and Trump is really, um, hurting them right now.

[00:35:46] Andrea: Well. I'm gonna, I'm gonna clarify a little bit on your behalf and you can correct me if I'm wrong, ke like it's not Cubans you have a problem with, it's Cuban Americans. I would say

[00:35:58] Carmen: Yes, thank [00:36:00] you. I wanna apologize Cuban America specifically in fucking Miami. Go.

[00:36:06] Andrea: right. And the, and the reason why, and I agree with you on this, and it's not Trump specific, although that is definitely an issue. It's because. These are the only Latinos on the whole full American continent who are allowed to come in to the United States. They take full advantage of that and they don't give a fuck about any of the other ones.

[00:36:34] Carmen: They don't, they don't,

[00:36:36] Andrea: And that's always been my problem, you know? And they obviously vote Republican pretty reliably. Pretty reliably, right? But it's the whole like pulls a ladder up, you know, behind me. So no one else can have what I have. And I think it's bullshit.

[00:36:48] Carmen: So yes, thank you for clarifying. 'cause I met Cuban Americans who actually live here, specifically in Florida. I have to be very specific, but, let me just explain this so people know. Uh, Trump declared [00:37:00] Cubas. National Emergency threat on January 29th, he issued an executive order that motherfucker in executive orders, I swear to God, um, saying that the Cuban government is an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national Security and the Declaration gives him broad legal powers now to impose economic sanctions, and he's just squeezing them out because they were getting a lot of their oil or gas, whatever it is from Venezuela.

[00:37:28] It's just look at, I care about the people of Cuba because we care about people, you know? But there, there are things happening all over the world right now, and it's like the United States. We're not helping people anymore. We're just extracting what we want from people and hurting them for power. And I don't mean electrical power, I mean, because Trump has an ego fetish.

[00:37:55] So that's what we're doing.

[00:37:57] Andrea: Yeah, it's like this [00:38:00] weird, I don't know, like adventurism, you know, where it's doesn't, I think seem real or like, doesn't care if it's real or not, that people are, people's, the lives of human beings are affected or, you know, taken because. He just feels like it and wants to, wants to distract, obviously.

[00:38:23] Like, let's not talk about

[00:38:24] Carmen: distract from what, let's say it for everyone in the audience, the Epstein files, which Jimmy Kimmel has trademarked Trump Epstein files, which I think is actually more appropriate to call it Trump dash Epstein files. But that seems to be the, I still am dying. Like what could be, what could possibly be in.

[00:38:46] Those files that he is doing all of this. I mean, I think he's a narcissist and and ego fuck anyways, but what could possibly be in there that is so important that he keeps distracting every day [00:39:00] from everyone finding out about it.

[00:39:03] Andrea: It's a, it's kind of a mystery because it's like we all already. Assume at this point and that, you know, like a lot of the Iran stuff came up right about the time that this most recent story came out about the, the girl who had, you know, uh, credible accusations that the FBI, uh, interviewed her multiple times, which they don't do unless you're credible.

[00:39:28] Um, you know, who was, what was it, 13 or something when, uh. He assaulted her, allegedly. Um,

[00:39:38] Carmen: believe it.

[00:39:39] Andrea: I do too, obviously. Uh, I don't, so I mean, like, what else could be in there?

[00:39:46] Carmen: Yeah, your reputation, Mr. Trump, if you're listening. Yeah, right. Like it's already ruined and bad and yucky and gross and we've already, I don't know what else could be in there, but [00:40:00] again, I think it's other people, and again, I don't care who the other people are. I don't care who they are, all of them need to be all men involved in this.

[00:40:08] C and women, what's her name? Jalina, whatever the fuck. That's what I'm calling that bitch. I ain't calling her her real name. Fuck her. All of them need to be in prison forever. Like just you don't hurt children

[00:40:23] Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I, I mean, I, as far as all of the warring all around the world, I mean, we, I think we talked about this before, we've got like troops on the ground in Ecuador doing what? I don't know.

[00:40:36] Carmen: and dying. Right. The not, 

[00:40:38] Andrea: And dying. Yeah. Um, I think it's, I, I truly think it's kind of fun for him.

[00:40:45] Carmen: Oh,

[00:40:45] Andrea: He's like, oh, let me, let me, you know.

[00:40:47] Carmen: No. 

[00:40:48] Andrea: Let me direct this around. Oh, I'm a, you know, like he put out that picture of himself in his military uniform when he, and it's like, I don't even have the [00:41:00] words. Just like, what the fuck are you doing?

[00:41:02] Carmen: it's having like a child in charge of. Country, you know what I mean? It's like a little boy. Like, it just makes me na like just angry and sad and whatever. Um, we, we were gonna talk about a couple other things where, you know, we've kind of run out time. Is there anything else you wanted to touch base on?

[00:41:20] Because I

[00:41:21] Andrea: what else were we gonna talk about? I don't remember.

[00:41:24] Carmen: oh. We were gonna have a conversation about student loans, but I

[00:41:27] Andrea: Oh God.

[00:41:28] Carmen: I know,

[00:41:28] Andrea: that right now.

[00:41:29] Carmen: I know.

[00:41:31] Andrea: I'm too, I'm way too deep into that world at this moment to have a rational conversation.

[00:41:36] Carmen: I know. I just wanna say to the person I had a huge fight with yesterday, you know who you is. Um, if you've never had to take out a student loan, then just consider yourself lucky and leave it at that because you don't have to deal with the ramifications of what it means to have to do that. So, uh.

[00:41:57] Andrea: Yeah.

[00:41:57] Carmen: You know, I, I, um, [00:42:00] I, I think we ended that friendship yesterday 'cause I was just adamantly angry about the, uh, and again, it's the entitlement, right? It's everybody's, you don't have compassion. I'm gonna end with this. I mean, you can follow up, but if you don't have compassion for somebody else's plight. You don't have the ability to comment on the struggle they're going through because you haven't taken the time to even understand what they're going through in order to have an opinion about it.

[00:42:32] You're just speaking from this weird place of entitlement, which is you just believe what you believe because it's not your experience, and I don't know how else to explain that.

[00:42:46] Andrea: I, well, okay. I know I said I didn't wanna talk about it, but I'm gonna just say a couple of things. Um, two people here who both had to take out student loans in order to educate themselves, [00:43:00] which back in the day was what we were all told about. This is how you become successful in life, right? There was no other way for us to have our education, right.

[00:43:14] Fast forward several decades later when both of us have already paid back what we borrowed and then a lot, right? We still have our student loans now. One, one of us got their loans forgiven. And I remember when you told me that I, I was crying. I was overjoyed for

[00:43:36] Carmen: And how was I?

[00:43:37] Andrea: You were not even that happy about it, right? I am still looking at a, I don't even wanna say a lot of money in student loans. I did not, for whatever fucking reason, get, get my loans forgiven. I can still be overjoyed for every, not just my friend, but for everybody who no longer has that burden. [00:44:00] None of us should have to take out student loans. As a country.

[00:44:04] We should want to educate our people.

[00:44:08] Carmen: Mm-hmm.

[00:44:09] Andrea: We shouldn't saddle them with debt for their entire fucking lives after that.

[00:44:15] Carmen: Let me. Let me just explain something and I'll use, 'cause I, I've written about this. I've put it on my website 'cause I was so angry about it. I took out $18,000 my final year in college to pay for college. 'cause I had already gotten as many scholarships and grants and worked my ass off. And I was working 30 hours a week while I was in school, by the way.

[00:44:37] 'cause I didn't have anybody paying my way. So I took out $18,000 and. of it was, I think last year, may of last year, I, and I've always paid, I've always paid what I had to pay, which for me was about 500 bucks a month or something, you know, it, it, it went back and forth, 300, [00:45:00] 500. I still owed $50,000 and I put the bill on my website and, you know, so that people could see, so that you could look at it.

[00:45:13] The reason why is it's because it's predatory lending, right? That's what it's called. It's like, we'll give you X amount of dollars, but you have to so that you can finish your school. We'll give you some leeway once you finish school, so like six months so you can find a job, whatever, and then we'll let you pay, but you're only gonna pay the interest.

[00:45:33] And the interest then compounds, and then they sell your loan. My loan was sold like three times or something.

[00:45:39] Andrea: You couldn't even trace it back.

[00:45:41] Carmen: You couldn't even trace it back. And then you turn around and you're still, you're paying. And then, so yesterday the person was like, well, that's the agreement you made. That's what you, I'm like, that's not the agreement I

[00:45:54] Andrea: No it's not.

[00:45:56] Carmen: And to do that to most kids who are like 18, [00:46:00] 19, you're ridiculous. You're ridiculous to sit down with a kid and say, well, you can take out a loan and finish school, or you can turn around and not finish school at all. Those are your choices. You know what I mean? Anyway, suffice it to say I was able to, and a lot of people can't do this.

[00:46:15] I hired a lawyer to navigate this whole fucking thing, Stanley, right? And is that his name?

[00:46:22] Andrea: Stanley Tate.

[00:46:23] Carmen: Stanley Tate, right. Let me give his full name. 'cause he is amazing. I actually hired him and walked through the process and he's amazing. For anybody who's doing anything regarding, um, student loans, you should really check him out.

[00:46:36] I'll put his information at the bottom. But I was able to hire someone to navigate the ridiculousness that is the student loan hoopla. And, um, I don't know when it was. Was it this past January? When was it that I, that was like November or something?

[00:46:52] I

[00:46:52] Andrea: It was like a handful of months ago.

[00:46:55] Carmen: handful of months ago, whatever, that my loan got forgiven and it got [00:47:00] forgiven. I don't know why Stanley knows. But anyways, the point is, is. I wasn't happy about it, which was weird because Andrea was fucking crying about it. She was so happy for me, but I paid back three times the amount I took out, and I felt it was so pathetic and bad and I didn't get that money back or anything.

[00:47:22] Andrea: Yeah.

[00:47:22] Carmen: And I am not grateful that the country that I have loved and grew up in and felt should be there for me. Thinks it's a favor to forgive something, which, by the way, let me put this in perspective. Companies that took out PPP loans during COVID, millions and millions of dollars forgiven,

[00:47:45] Andrea: Yeah.

[00:47:46] Carmen: millions and millions of dollars.

[00:47:48] But regular people who make regular money who are just trying to be better than they used to be, crawl out of the circumstance they were born into. Are [00:48:00] held to a different standard and if you can't understand that, going back to compassion, fuck you. That's all I gotta say. Like, I dunno what else to say.

[00:48:09] So Andrea, I, I, I hope they, I know, right? I, I hope that, um, there is another round of forgiveness happening. So I, I hope you're in it, but we'll talk about that later. But, um, thank you so much girl, and, um, thanks everyone. Remember at the end of the day, it really is all about the joy, so I hopely you got to laugh a little bit.

[00:48:29] Bye everyone. Oh God.