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Buttigieg Explains What He Wants 'Everyday Life' To Look Like For Americans In Pitch Perfect Rant
Buttigieg, who was tapped by Democratic President Joe Biden to serve as Secretary of Transportation, titled his Substack essay: "Why I Sat Down for a Two-Hour Podcast That Recently Hosted Trump—Going everywhere means seeking out audiences that may have never heard our message at all."
Indeed, while part of the Biden administration, former Democratic presidential candidate Buttigieg often had very successful appearances on right-wing, conservative media, explaining the administration's goals and actions.
Buttigieg wrote of appearing on Flagrant with hosts Andrew Schultz and Akaash Singh:
"This moment demands more than just good ideas—it demands that those of us who oppose the chaos and cruelty coming from Washington are showing up consistently in spaces where not everyone shares our views, or has even heard them directly from us at all."
"That’s why I sat down for a two-and-a-half-hour conversation on the podcast Flagrant—a show that hosted Donald Trump during the presidential campaign last year."
And judging by media and social media reactions, it was time well spent.
According to The Advocate:
"The former transportation secretary has briefed generals, grilled CEOs, and testified before Congress. But in his latest public appearance, he proved just as fluent in barbershop banter and locker-room one-liners as he is in public policy."
"Buttigieg showed that a Harvard grad, Rhodes Scholar, former mayor, and former presidential candidate can chop it up with some of YouTube’s biggest comedy bros without sounding rehearsed, robotic, or condescending."
@_rotimia/X
One segment of the nearly three hour appearance gaining a lot of attention is Buttigieg articulating his—and most Democrats'—version of the ideal America.
Buttigieg told the Flagrant hosts:
"I want everyday life to be better."
After a brief back and forth with Schultz, Mayor Pete explained:
"You get up in the morning. I want you to be able to get up in the morning and the first thing you do is you commute to work and, by the way, if you're on EV, I want that to be affordable for you or if you're on public transit... I want you to have good public transit to get to where you're going and then when you get to that job, I want you to be paid well."
"And if you're about to have a kid, I want you to know that you're going to have parental leave when you have that kid. And if you don't want to have a kid, I want you to have the the right to choose whether to have a kid which means access to birth control and and abortion and those things that give you the freedom to decide on that."
"And if you already have a kid, when you pick them up at school, I want that school to be good, not having its funding slashed while they set fire to the Department of Education."
"And then when you get home, I want you to be in a neighborhood that is safe and where you can breathe the air because we didn't let them get rid of the clean air act and you don't have to think for one moment about whether the air you breathe or the water you drink is clean and clear, which actually takes a lot because it means the government has to constrain those actors that would make you unfree by polluting the air and polluting the water."
"And then when you go to bed, I want you to know that your family's going to be fine, even if it's family like mine, despite there being some supreme court justice who wants to obliterate your family because it doesn't match his interpretation of his religion."
"Like, that's the life I want everybody to be able to live."
When asked what Americans really need, Buttigieg stated:
"I think all of them are some version of the same thing which is freedom and security, and with that, I think democracy, but really, I don't think a lot of people like come up on the street saying like I want more democracy."
"I think there's a way that's absolutely true, but in terms of what people really want, I think people want to live a life of their choosing, they want things to work, they want our country to be better than any other country in terms of the quality of our roads and the strength of our economy and the kind of education they can get."
People were highly impressed with Buttigieg's ability to relate and articulate.
Another Buttigieg quote, on inequality, that seems to have penetrated the manosphere is:
"No republic has ever survived this level of inequality for long and remained a republic."
As he explained on Substack:
"I know that a podcast with an almost all-male viewership, which prides itself on rejecting political correctness and is skeptical of all things 'woke,' represents an audience that might not be inclined to give my party the benefit of the doubt."
"That’s the point."
He added:
"It won’t always be easy, but I’m convinced that over time, these conversations, in-person and with people you know, can make a real impact in building the kind of future we want to see."
"One thing that is clear from the last election is that my side of the aisle must examine not only what we have to say, but how and where we say it."
"That’s why you can count on me to keep showing up—anywhere there’s a chance to have a real conversation with anyone willing to engage."
You can watch the full 2 hour 50 minute Flagrant podcast episode with Pete Buttigieg here:
Most Read
Abrego Garcia's Wife Forced To Move To Safe House After Homeland Security Shares Her Address On Social Media
However the lack of media attention focused solely on Sura didn't make a difference in keeping the Virginia native and her three children safe.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Sura revealed she had to move to a safe house after actions taken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
She stated:
"I don’t feel safe when the government posts my address, the house where my family lives, for everyone to see, especially when this case has gone viral and people have all sorts of opinions."
"So, this is definitely a bit terrifying. I’m scared for my kids."
DHS decided to post a court document—that Sura once filed, but later abandoned—visible to their 2.4 million followers on X.
DHS captioned the document image with:
"Kilmar Abrego Garcia had a history of violence and was not the upstanding ‘Maryland Man’ the media has portrayed him as."
"According to court filings, Garcia’s wife sought a domestic violence restraining order against him, claiming he punched, scratched, and ripped off her shirt, among other harm."
The document DHS shared on social media had Sura's address clearly visible. As a result, Sura moved her family into a safe house.
People were once again appalled at actions taken by Kristi Noem's DHS and ICE.
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
In her WaPo interview, Sura stated:
"Look, Kilmar is not perfect—nobody is. Day by day, you grow."⁹
"Every day, you learn. And he was trying his best for me, for our kids, for our future."
The Trump administration has so far ignored the SCOTUS ruling to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home.
Could SMG return to the IKWYDLS reboot?
The director shared the conversation with Entertainment Weekly, telling them:
"I mean the big one, I tried relentlessly, and she's dead."
She added:
"I tried to pitch some crazy s--- too. I was like, 'What if it's like you weren't dead and you're actually alive, but in hiding?'"
“Sarah's like, 'I was on ice. I was the most dead a person could be. You can see my frozen body.' I was like, 'Yeah, but what if?' And she said, 'I am dead. I am Sarah Dead Gellar.'"
Details, details, SMG.
Writer-director Robinson is also best known for MTV's Sweet/Vicious, co-writing Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder with Taika Waititi, and directing and writing Netflix's Do Revenge starring Maya Hawke. Hawke was another cameo that Robinson hoped to convince to join the reboot, but Hawke's schedule conflicted with filming.
Horror fans may recall that Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character met her end trying to escape the stalker in the middle of a Southport, North Carolina, parade. The drums from the band conveniently obscured Helen’s screams as a fisherman's coat-wearing serial killer slashed his way into 1997 horror movie infamy.
Her body was discovered on packing ice at the climax of the film by her costar, Jennifer Love Hewitt, who played Julie James and will return for the reboot alongside original star Freddie Prinze Jr., who just so happens to be married to Gellar in real life.
Brook Rushton/Columbia Pictures
So, what are you waiting for? Watch the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot trailer below:
- YouTube Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube
In the trailer, eagle-eyed fans can spot a picture of Gellar’s Helen hanging in a photo frame behind Hewitt, who stands in front of Prinze Jr. It was announced last September, that the actor would join the cast and reprise his role as Ray Bronson, the love interest to Lewitt’s James.
The movie also stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, and Sarah Pidgeon as a group of teenagers stalked by another mysterious stranger, and who ultimately seek advice from the original survivors of the 1997 Southport Massacre. Fans can catch this summer slasher movie when it premieres on July 18th.
And even though she’s like dead dead in the movie-verse, Gellar did share her support for Robinson’s casting and realistic movie direction, telling People magazine:
"Jen's put together such an amazing cast, and I'm so happy and excited for all of them. I will be there with moral support behind the camera."
Although the IKWYDLS universe appears to be in good hands, fans did offer more creative ways to bring Gellar’s character back:
And others praised Gellar for honoring the film’s continuity by not joining the reboot:
Funny enough, Helen Shivers’ character actually lives on in the book-verse of Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel I Know What You Did Last Summer, where she goes by the name “Rivers.”
So there is some hope, IKWYDLS fans!
Things Employers Don't Want Workers To Know Because It Would Cost Them Big Bucks
How can they keep more of it?
How do they hide it from staff?
They try to mask their intentions by giving a few extra pennies here and there or a pizza party as a "thank-you" every other Friday.
But how thankful can they be?
If they really cared, they would give livable wages for work well done.
Or they would stop trying to excavate ways to cut corners in their benefit but burden staff.
Redditor No-Nerve6154 wanted everyone to expose the ways the 1% bosses are screwing us over, so they asked:
"What's something employers would never want employees to know because they would lose millions?"
The 1%
"How much the top execs are making. I thought I was making an ok salary, and then my company went public. In the IPO filing, it turned out the CEO was pulling in 40 million a year. Really made me think about all those year-end 3% raise conversations."
- Arete108
Hustling Dave Chappelle GIF
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Theft
"Maybe not millions, but any time your employer requires you to do something, you should be clocked in. Meetings, trainings, arriving early to 'start your shift on time,' should all be considered time on the clock, and you should be compensated for it. I've heard many managers/bosses in the past tell teams not to clock in for brief meetings, etc, which is wage theft."
- wizarddewd
IT'S NOT ON YOU!!!
"Know your benefits and rights. I manage people and handle benefits. The amount of employees that don’t have a f**king clue what they are entitled to is ridiculous. I try to coach them, especially the younger folks, but they don’t get it. Two examples..."
"1- My state offers disability leave, which includes parental leave. I’m in an 'important' role where it can be difficult if I’m out of the office. When my kid was born, you can be damn sure I took my full 3 months and not a bit less. F**k you, that’s my right, you can figure it out."
"2- My brother, who is in his forties mind, tore his ACL at work for a huge company that delivers everything to your house in 2 days. He went to the doctor and got a note. I asked him if he had reported it as a worker’s comp injury. 'No, I have insurance.' The f**k dude, you also have deductibles and copays, AND you only have 10 days to report a worker’s comp injury. Get off the phone with me and go file a report NOW. If you need surgery and light duty or disability, that s**t HAS TO GO THROUGH YOUR EMPLOYER. IT'S NOT ON YOU!"
- Biggetybird
Speak Up
"You're allowed to talk to your coworkers about pay. The number of people I've run into who think discussing wages is honestly a crime absolutely blows my mind. Discuss what you make, and if you're not making as much as someone else, question it."
- BrewertonFats
"I once (male)worked on a team with a woman who had an identical job and more experience than me. Pay raise time: I got 50% more than her. And honestly, she was far better. I told her about it. Management fixed her pay and six months later fired us all."
- Hopeful-Argument2603
Policy
"That just because it's written company policy, doesn't make it law or legal. Anything can be argued in a court, and a policy that blatantly breaks the law or infringes on your rights won't hold up."
- No-Group-4504
"My favorite was a hotel I worked at that wanted everyone to sign off on a new drug policy. The new policy prohibited staff from providing drugs, legal or otherwise, or alcohol to coworkers or patrons, whether for money or free."
"The problem was, I was the hotel bartender. So I refused to sign. Pointed it out to the owner and had a laugh as he tossed them all out. Every other restaurant staff member had signed it already."
- iordseyton
Synergy
"The secret most companies would die to keep hidden: They have NO IDEA what their employees actually do all day."
"I watched this play out at my last company in the most infuriating way. Our VP mandated a "productivity tracking initiative" where we had to log every task for two weeks. When the results came in, they showed our team was handling triple the expected workload with outdated tools while two entire layers of management contributed almost nothing measurable."
"What happened to this eye-opening data? It disappeared. Completely buried. Why? Because fixing it would mean admitting they've been underpaying the people actually keeping the lights on while overpaying people who mostly create PowerPoints about 'synergy.'"
"The kicker? Three months later, they laid off 20% of the doers and kept all the managers. Then they couldn't figure out why deadlines were suddenly impossible to meet. So they hired expensive consultants who recommended - you guessed it - more managers to 'oversee productivity improvements.'"
"Companies would rather set money on fire than admit their precious org charts and management structures are mostly theater. The people who create actual value are treated as replaceable while those who create meetings are treated as indispensable."
- PixelPulse88
Counting the Hours
"That you can claim unemployment in the U.S. even if you are still working. If they cut your hours enough to where you're no longer making the same kind of money you were. You can file for unemployment."
"My knowledge may be a little bit dated."
- EfficientDismal
Charles Dickens Money GIF by INTO ACTION
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40 Hours
"Most jobs don’t actually need 40 hrs a week to get done. If you cut out pointless meetings and unnecessary tasks, people could finish their work in way less time. If everyone realized that, companies would probably have to pay for actual work done, not just hours spent."
- TaskJemain-Ak
"Yeah, but they use the 40 hours a week as justification for benefits. So if everyone worked less, they'd have to provide fewer benefits. Happened at a couple of places I worked. Literally nobody was working more than 36 a week and as a result got no vacation days or health insurance."
- Wrought-Irony
Finish the Work
"The value of labor."
- MwaslametryFEM
"I wish my current employer understood this one better, actually."
"Currently building a hospital on an island in Alaska. We never have enough material because the company is trying to save a buck by ordering small amounts of everything (no one on this crew of 140 has a 1/4 fender washer to rub against another)."
"So much money is wasted in labor by people wandering around the job site looking for simple parts. At this point, you could order a few thousand bits of each style of small hardware and throw them off the bridge and still save money if we had enough to go around and finish our work."
- motodextros
The Crux
"The union thing has already been brought up multiple times. I’ll just add that if you work for a large enough company, they literally have a department that pays people just to make sure unions don’t get formed. It’s usually called something like labor relations, and the main crux of their job is to assess the unionization risk of every move the company makes. Couple that with the tactics company leaders use to disrupt/influence union votes, and it’s apparent that they are all scared sh**less of this."
- AreYouJealous
Legalities
"Most non-competes are illegal under 'restraint of trade' laws. It's really just an attempt at employers getting folks thinking they are trapped there or would have to move or not work in their field in their area. It's not legal. Mainly because it allows employers to start abusing employees, freezing wages/promotions, etc."
"Ask to make it a yearly renewed one with no compete/no fire agreed to by each. I doubt you would get it, but they certainly would respect you knowing exactly what they are asking of you and expecting the same in return."
- dgrant92
Take it...
"You can just take the whole toilet paper roll home from the bathroom. Nobody will stop you."
- PMMeUrHopesNDreams
Unravelling Toilet Paper GIF
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Common Knowledge
"Salaried employees can still be compensated for overtime pay if they are not exempt, many salaried employees are misclassified as exempt. If you are salaried and you get docked partial pay for partial days worked, etc, you are not salaried; you are hourly."
"Overtime hours are recorded WEEKLY past 40 hours, not every two weeks past 80 hours. Hours worked cannot be moved in different work weeks to avoid overtime pay."
"If you are a 1099 worker but get treated like an employee you more than likely have been misclassified and your employer may be screwing you out of overtime pay and for sure in taxes. Managers and supervisors cannot be in a tip pool. Only employees."
"If employees are working at multiple businesses that share common goods, managers, owners, etc., the hours at both locations need to be conglomerated for overtime pay. For example, you work 25 hours at location 1 and 20 hours at location 2 in 1 week. You don't get paid separately. You have worked 45 hours and are owed overtime for 5 hours."
"This may be considered common knowledge, but you'd be surprised how much employers attempt, and do, get away with."
- Foboomazoo
Efficient
"That if you work for a public company and checked SEC Form DEF 14A for Executive Compensation, you'd feel much differently about 'layoffs.' In most cases, salary is lunch money compared to their stock holdings, and juicing the stock price by having a round of layoffs to make the company more 'efficient' means 'too bad, you have to suffer so we can make more money. '"
"Shareholder value' was a sociopathic financial model that made it ok to put shareholders (them) before even customers - and WAY before employees."
- RhythmTimeDivision
WAR
"We are the means of production, comrades. If we would stop fighting culture wars and started fighting class wars, things would get wildly entertaining."
- SwampYankee
War Running GIF by Curiosity Stream
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People work hard to make an honest living.
And all it would take to give honest people a break is just a little less greed.
Not even that much.
Keep some of your greed!
But be kinder and stop overworking and stealing from people.
What other ways do you know of that employers take advantage for profit?
