NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN IN TEXAS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
>> Dana: NEW GOVERNMENT REPORT
SHEDDING LIGHT ON FENTANYL IN
THE UNITED STATES AND POINTING
A FINGER SQUAIRL AT MEXICO FOR
THE DRUG.
THE DOMINANT SOURCE HAS BEEN
MEXICO.
THE DRUG IS MANUFACTURED IN
ILLEGAL LABORATORIES THERE
USING PRESENT CURSORS FROM
ASIA, MAINLY CHINA AND
TRAFFICKED MAINLY BY LAND INTO
THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS VIVEK RAMASWAMY.
I DID THINK THIS WAS
INTERESTING.
THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
HEAD SHE IS AN APPOINTED PERSON
BY JOE BIDEN.
SHE HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE
ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
IN THIS AND I WANT TO GET YOUR
TAKE AFTER YOU HEAR HER.
>> THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES,
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE DRUG
TRAFFICKERS ARE DOING.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS
HAPPENING.
THEY TRACK EVERY PIECE OF DATA.
WHEN IT CAME TO CHILD
EXPLORETATION TO PUT AN END TO
THAT ON THEIR SITE.
THEY COULD DO THE SAME THING
HERE IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN THEM WILLING
TO TAKE THOSE STEPS.
>> Dana: VIVEK I FELT IT WAS
RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY.
YOU TALK ABOUT HOW SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANIES TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
IS THIS ONE OF THEM?
>> LOOK, I THINK THIS IS THE
GOVERNMENT DEFLECTING
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE
GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY.
ACTUALLY THE BORDER IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SEE FROM
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT
CONSISTENTLY DISAPPOINTS ME IS
CONFLATING IMMIGRATION AND
BORDER SECURITY.
THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES.
WITH THE FENTANYL CRISIS WE SEE
THE EFFECTS OF THAT FIRSTHAND.
THE BIG FAIL AT THE BORDER,
FENTANYL IS FLOWING INTO THE
COUNTRY.
THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
AMONG ADULTS UNDER THE AGE OF
45.
IT IS A GREATER CAUSE OF DEATH
THAN COVID AND WE AREN’T
TALKING ABOUT THAT ISSUE
INSTEAD DEFLECTING
ACCOUNTABILITY TO SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANIES.
I THINK THE ISSUE IS SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT.
IT IS THE FACT THAT THEY ARE
USING THIS AS ANOTHER LEVER TO
EXERCISE GOVERNMENT CONTROL
OVER SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
CONTINUING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO
THEM AS I THINK THEY’VE DONE ON
MATTERS RELATING TO HATE SPEECH
AND MISINFORMATION.
NOW THEY ARE USING THE BORDER
SECURITY CRISIS AS A SMOKE
SCREEN TO PRESSURE THESE
COMPANY TO BECOME INSTRUMENTS
OF GOVERNMENT.
THE ISSUE AT HAND IS THE
GOVERNMENT’S OWN FAILURE TO
CONTROL ITS BORDERS.
ONE OF THE TOP FUNCTIONS OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
>> Bill: SNAPCHAT IS A BIG
PROBLEM.
THE COMPANY SAID THEY CUT IT IN
HALF THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
THEY ARE IN THE SPOTLIGHT THERE.
OPEN SECRETS REPORTS ABOUT THE
BEIJING OLYMPIC SPONSORS.
YOU TALK ABOUT THIS IN YOUR
FIRST BOOK.
THEY SPENT $270 MILLION IN
LOBBYING OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
BIG COMPANIES.
CALL FOR THE SCREEN SHOT.
COCA-COLA, INTEL, VISA,
SAMSUNG, THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY
TO VIVEK.
>> IT IS A LOT OF MONEY FROM
COMPANIES LOBBYING HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES AND ABROAD THAT
REGULARLY CRITIQUE SOCIAL
ISSUES HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES AND GET INVOLVED IN
POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES
BUT HAVE NOT SAID A PEEP ABOUT
THE ACTUAL HUMAN RIGHTS
ATROCITIES PLAYING OUT IN CHINA
AS WE SPEAK AS THEY EFFECTIVELY
SUBSIDIZE THE REPUTATION OF A
BRUTAL REGIME RESPONSIBLE FOR
SOME OF THE GREATEST HUMAN
RIGHTS ATROCITIES OF OUR MOMENT.
CORPORATIONS CAN TAKE THE ROAD
OF SAYING WE’LL SEE ROPE TO
WHOEVER BUYS ROPE AND LET THEM
HANG US BY THE ROPE AND
GOVERNMENT ACTORS SHOULD BE
GOVERNMENT ACTORS OR THEY CAN
GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS IN THE
UNITED STATES BUT THEY HAVE TO
ACTUALLY APPLY A CONSISTENT
STANDARD WHAT WEATHER THEY
ENGAGE IN BUSINESS ABROAD AS
WELL BUT CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH
WAYS.
RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING
IS BOLSTERING THE REPUTATION OF
THE CCP, WHILE QUIETLY
UNDERMINING THE MORAL STANDING
OF THE UNITED STATES OFFERING
CRITICISM OF U.S. POLICIES AND
U.S. REALITIES AT HOME.
SO I THINK THESE CORPORATIONS
NEED TO SEE THROUGH THE VEIL OF
BEHAVIOR AND ULTIMATELY CHINA
IS BENEFITING FROM THEIR
ACTIONS.
>> Dana: SOUND LIKE IT.
ARE YOU WATCHING THE OLYMPICS
AT ALL?
>> I WAS CONFLICTED ABOUT IT.
I ENJOY WATCHING THE OLYMPICS
EVERY YEAR.
I HAVEN’T THIS YEAR.
WE HAD A CONVERSATION.
WE FELT IT WASN’T A YEAR TO DO
IT.
IT IS INAPPROPRIATE THAT THE
U.S. DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN A
BOYCOTT.
IT IS LIKE 1936 BERLIN.
WE UNDERWROTE THE REPUTATION OF
THE CCP.
I LOVE OUR ATHLETES AND I LOVE
WATCHING EXCELLENCE ON DISPLAY
EVERY FOUR YEARS ON THE GLOBAL
STAGE.
THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL MOMENT
WHERE EVERY COMPANY AND
INSTITUTIONAL ACTOR IS LOOKING
AWAY FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS
ATROCITY.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL
NOT TO BOLSTER THE CCP.
>> Bill: MAYBE THESE COMPANIES