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SHOCK AND REACTION AS A BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IS STABBED TO DEATH WHILE MEETING WITH CONSTITUENTS.
THE SECOND MURDER OF A SITTING BRITISH LAWMAKER IN FIVE YEARS.
THEN ON.
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I'M BIANNA GOLODRYGA IN FOR CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR WHO WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK.
A DARK DAY FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE UK, THAT'S THE REACTION FROM BRITISH LAWMAKERS AFTER A KILLING OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
CONSERVATIVE MP SIR DAVID AMESS WAS STABBED MULTIPLE TIMES.
THESE ARE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS BETWEEN LAWMAKERS AND VOTERS AND A CORNERSTONE OF BRITISH DEMOCRACY.
A 25-YEAR-OLD MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE KILLING, BUT THE MOTIVE REMAINS UNCLEAR.
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON SERVED HIS DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO DAVID'S FAMILY.
DAVID WAS A MAN WHO BELIEVED PASSIONATELY IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN ITS FUTURE.
WE LOST TODAY A FINE, PUBLIC SERVANT AND A MUCH-LOVED FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE.
DAVID AMESS IS THE SECOND SITTING UK LAWMAKER TO BE KILLED IN JUST FIVE YEARS.
FRESH IN MANY PEOPLE'S MEMORIES WILL BE THE HORRIFIC MURDER OF JOE COX IN 2016.
SHE WAS SHOT AND STABBED BY A RIGHT-WING TERRORIST IN HER CONSTITUENCE NEY IN WEST YORKSHIRE.
SHE'S ON THE SCENE AND NADIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
I SHOULD NOTE THAT WE ARE AWAITING A POLICE BRIEFING AND I'LL HAVE TO INTERRUPT YOU AND GO STRAIGHT TO THAT BRIEFING.
SIR DAVID AMESS WAS MEETING WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS THERE IN A CHURCH WHEN TERROR BROKE OUT.
TELL US ABOUT THE SCENE AND THE MOOD THERE.
BIANNA, THIS IS A SHOCKED COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A VERY SMALL, CLOSE-KNIT NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST A SMALL SEASIDE TOWN HERE EAST OF LONDON AND PEOPLE HERE ARE COMPLETELY DISTRESSED AND SHOCKED BY THE MURDER THAT TOOK PLACE JUST ABOUT 50 METERS BEHIND ME IN THIS METHODIST CHURCH AND THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW HOURS WE'VE SEEN MEMBERS OF THIS LOCAL COMMUNITY COMING HERE TO THE POLICE CORDON AND LEAVING FLOWERS AND COMING TO LEAVE MESSAGES AND FLOWERS AND BALLOONS BEHIND ME.
THERE IS A SENSE OF SORROW AND SOME QUESTIONING HOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS SMALL TOWN.
MANY ARE ALSO QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT ENOUGH SECURITY IS BEING GIVEN TO LOCAL LAWMAKERS AND YOU HEARD FROM PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON EXPRESSING HIS SORROW TO THIS TRAGIC MURDER TO DAVID AMESS AND MANY SAID THAT HE WAS A MUCH-LOVED MEMBER OF THIS LOCAL COMMUNITY AND VERY ENGAGED WITH THE RESIDENTS HERE AND MANY HAVE SPOKEN TO US IN THE LAST FEW MINUTE, AS WELL AND SPOKEN TO HIM ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THAT HE HAD BEEN A GREAT HELP AND A GREAT, LOVED MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AS YOU MENTIONED JOE COX MURDERED MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO AND HAS REALLY RAISED SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARE GIVEN ENOUGH SECURITY, REALLY AND PROTECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THINGS LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, AND REALLY, THIS COMMUNITY IS BEYOND SHAKEN, BUT WE ARE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS HERE, OF COURSE, STANDING BY AND THERE IS A HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE AS THIS PRESENCE CONTINUES.
THEY ARE NOT SEARCHING FOR FURTHER SUSPECTS AT THIS TIME ALTHOUGH THE MOTIVE IS STILL NOT KNOWN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHY THIS HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT, BUT POLICE HAVE BEEN APPEALING TO LOCAL RESIDENTS CALLING ON ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS OR MAY HAVE ACCESS TO CCTV FOOTAGE, DASHCAM FOOTAGE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP THE POLICE PEACE TOGETHER THIS PUZZLE AS TO WHY SIR DAVID AMESS WAS SO BRUTALLY ATTACKED HERE.
A BRUTAL ATTACK AGAINST A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND AGAINST DEMOCRACY AS WELL THERE.
NADIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
THE FLAGS OUTSIDE THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND DOWNING STREET HAVE BEEN LOWERED TO HALF-MAST TO MARK DAVID AMESS' DEATH.
JOINING ME FROM LONDON IS A FELLOW CONSERVATIVE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT WHO WORKED ALONGSIDE SIR DAVID.
TOM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, MY CONDOLENCES TO YOU FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR COLLEAGUE AND YOUR FRIEND.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THIS SENSELESS MURDER?
WELL, MOSTLY IT'S JUST GRIEF.
I MEAN, IT'S THE SECOND OF MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS THAT I'VE LOST IN PARLIAMENT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
JOE COX WHO I WAS WORKING WITH AT THE TIME WAS MURDERED IN 2016 AND NOW DAVID TODAY THIS IS, I'VE GOT TO BE HONEST, NOT WHAT I EXPECTED IN BRITISH DEMOCRACY AND BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND BRITISH LIFE IN 2021.
THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT ON THE LEVEL OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE THAT I THINK IS ACCEPTABLE IN ANY COUNTRY.
ACCEPTABLE NOWHERE AND OUR THOUGHTS ARE ALSO WITH HIS FAMILY AND HIS WIFE AND THEIR FIVE CHILDREN.
TO GIVE OUR VIEWERS A SENSE OF DAVID'S BACKGROUND AND HIS CAREER IN PARLIAMENT, HE SERVED IN PARLIAMENT FOR 38 YEARS AND WORKING FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS IN ESSEX, I HAVE HEARD MANY, MANY NOW, TRIBUTES COME IN FROM PEOPLE ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM JUST TALKING ABOUT HIS DEDICATION TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.
CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF WHO HE WAS BOTH AS A MAN AND AS A POLITICIAN?
HE HAD A VERY STRONG FAITH AND HE WAS A VERY STRONG PRACTICING CATHOLIC, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH HIM TODAY.
HE SET UP AND MADE WORK THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, AND THE FRIENDSHIP GROUP, IF YOU LIKE, ACROSS PARTY MPs FOR THE HOLY S SEE AND HE WAS ALWAYS SMILING, ALWAYS HAPPY AND WITH A JOKE.
FOR A LOT OF US THIS IS PARTICULARLY PAINFUL, AND FRANKLY, IF YOU CAN TAKE IT AGAINST DAVID, YOU CAN TAKE IT AGAINST ANYONE.
DAVID WROTE A PRESCIENT PIECE A YEAR AGO IN WHICH HE SPOKE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT MEETING CONSTITUENTS AND HE'S RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T REPRESENT PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW AND YOU CAN'T GET TO KNOW PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T MEET THEM AND HE WROTE ABOUT WHY DESPITE THE DANGERS, SINCE THE MURDER OF JOE COX THAT ALL OF US HOLD SESSIONS IN VILLAGE HALLS, ALL AROUND WITH THE SINGLE MEMBER OF STAFF ACROSS THE COUNTRY, EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AND WHY IT MATTERS SO MUCH TO SEE HIM MURDERED AS HE WAS REALLY DOING HIS BIT FOR DEMOCRACY AND FOR OUR COUNTRY IS HEARTBREAKING.
YOU CAN'T SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS WITHOUT MEETING WITH THEM, AND I TAKE IT THAT THESE FACE TO FACE MEETINGS, THESE SURGERIES, AS THEY ARE CALLED JUST RESUMED A FEW WEEKS AGO GIVEN THE COVID RESTRICTIONS AND THINK, HIS CONSTITUENTS HAD BEEN ALERTED THAT HE WOULD BE HOLDING ONE TODAY AND NO ONE COULD HAVE FORESEEN THE TRAGEDY THAT WOULD UNFOLD AND IT WILL MAKE FOR A VERY SOMBER RETURN TO PARLIAMENT TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON MONDAY.
AS WHEN YOUR COLLEAGUES WILL RIGHTLY MOURN HIS PASSING AND MEMORY, I'M JUST CURIOUS, IT'S A QUESTION OF SECURITY AND THOSE WHO DO NOT FEEL SAFE NOW GOING TO DO WHAT THEY'VE WANTED TO DO WHICH IS WHY THEY'VE TURNED TO THIS INDUSTRY TO BECOME A POLITICIAN TO THE SECTOR TO SERVE THEIR PEOPLE.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS FOR YOU NOW AND FOR YOUR COLLEAGUES TO ADDRESS?
I DO KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE DOWN IN THE 2017 ELECTION BECAUSE THE THREATS AGAINST THEM WERE MORE THAN THEY WERE PREPARED TO TAKE, QUITE RIGHTLY AND QUITE UNDERSTANDABLY AND I KNOW OF OTHERS WHO DECIDED NOT TO STAND AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THIS MATTERS SO MUCH.
THE MURDER OF JOE AND THE MURDER OF DAVID IS NOT JUST AN ATTACK AGAINST THEM, A HORRIFIC ATTACK AGAINST THEM AND NOT JUST AGAINST THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND IT'S A FUNDAMENTAL ATTACK ON THE BRITISH PEOPLE AND THE RIGHT OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR COUNTRY TO CHOOSE WHO THEY WISH TO REPRESENT THEM AND THE PEOPLE SOUTH AND WEST CHOSE DAVID TO BE THEIR CHAMPION AND TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE IN PARLIAMENT AND THEY DIDN'T CHOOSE ANYBODY ELSE AND WHOEVER MURDERED HIM HAS EFFECTIVELY VIOLATED THEIR RIGHTS AND DENIED THEM THE FREEDOM THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL TO A FREE SOCIETY.
THIS IS A REALLY SERIOUS ISSUE, NOT JUST FOR THE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE OF US WHO KNOW DAVID OR KNEW DAVID, SORRY, BUT FOR OUR WHOLE COUNTRY AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY AWFUL, BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK BECAUSE AS YOU SAY, WE'VE GOT TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT AND MEET PEOPLE AND WE'VE GOT TO BE APPROACHABLE AND WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THAT WORK.
FORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE EXCLUSIVE TO THE UK.
YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT'S UNFOLDING IN THE U.S., AS WELL AND THIS IS ALL HAPPENING AS THE POLITICAL RHETORIC CONTINUES TO HEAT UP WHETHER IT BE DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
ACROSS THE WORLD, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION JUST IN THE SHORT TERM REGARDING SAFETY.
WHEN YOU NOW GO NEXT TO MEET WITH YOUR CONSTITUENT, WILL YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR WELFARE AND DO YOU THINK MORE EFFORTS NEED TO BE PUT IN FOR EXTRA SECURITY?
I'LL BE TALKING TO THE SPEAKER WHO HAS BEEN BRILLIANT AND HE'S DOING HIS BEST TO IMPROVE SECURITY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND HAS BEEN DOING WHAT HE THINKS IS RIGHT AND PUSHED IT A HELL OF A LONG WAY, BUT I'M HERE TO CONTINUE TO MEET PEOPLE BECAUSE I CAN'T DO IT IF I DON'T, AND I SPENT THE BEST PART OF TEN YEARS FIGHTING FOR MY COUNTRY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, AND I SEE NO REASON TO START FIGHTING FOR IT NOW.
IT'S DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER WHEN MATTERS.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT ELECTED POL TELGS IN THE CONGRESS AND THE SENATE AND IT'S ABOUT EVERY CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, THE USHG K, FRANCE AND MANY, MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.
IF YOU WANT A DECHL DEMOCRAT SEE AND IF YOU WANT A FREE COUNTRY YOU NEED TO RESPECT THOSE WHO ARE ELECTEDENT WHO YOU CHOSE THEM.
YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THEY WERE CHOSEN THROUGH FREE AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES WHETHER OR NOT YOU SUPPORTED THEM AND POISONING THE ATMOSPHERE DEBATE UNDERMINES NOT JUST THE ABILITY OF DEMOCRACY TO WORK IN ANY COUNTRY, BUT ACTUALLY RISKS THE VERY FREEDOMS THAT MANY PEOPLE CLAIM TO CHAMPION.
ALL I CAN SAY IS BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY AND BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.
YOU MENTIONED THE PRESCIENT NOTE THAT HE OFFERED THAT WHILE IT IS, NO DOUBT DANGEROUS FOLLOWING THE PASSING OF JOE COX AND HER BRUTAL MURDER IN 2016, DAVID AMESS RAISED THE ISSUE OF SENSELESS NIGHT MURDERS TWICE IN MARCH AND OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING FROM THE POLICE WITH MORE DETAILS, I WOULD IMAGINE BEHIND THE POSSIBLE MOTIVE AND HOW THIS TRANSPIRED AND IT APPEARS IT WAS AT THE HANDS OF A KNIFE-WIELDING MAN.
IS THIS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN FOR YOU AND ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY?
OF COURSE, IT IS.
IT IS A MATTER OF VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS AND ONE OF THE GREAT LUXURIES THAT WE HAVE IN THE UK THAT WE HAVE VERY, VERY FEW FIREARMS AND THERE ARE NO PISTOLS IN PRIVATE HANDS AND THERE ARE NO HANDGUNS IN PRIVATE HANDS AND SO FIREARMS VIOLENCE IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL, BUT THERE ARE KNIFE ATTACKS AND THEY'RE NOT FREQUENT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE HUNDRED A YEAR AND NOT MORE THAN THAT, BUT IT'S STILL ANY MURDER, HOWEVER IT'S COMMITTED IS HORRIFIC AND THIS ATTACK ON DAVID IS UTTERLY SENSELESS AND COM PLATELY BRUTAL.
UNLIKE OTHERS WHO WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT THEIR TENURE SERVING THE COUNTRY, 38 YEARS YOU WOULD IMAGINE SOME HAVE ASPIRATIONS FOR HIGHER ROLES IN GOVERNMENT AND THAT WASN'T THE CASE FOR DAVID.
HE SEEMED TO BE PERFECTLY CONTENT AS A BACK VENTURE THERE, JUST SERVING HIS CONSTITUENTS AND TWHAFS ABOUT HIS VOTERS AND BEING WITH THESE PEOPLE AND MEETING WITH THEM THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM?
WELL, HE -- YOU KNOW, FOR MANY OF US, REPRESENTING YOUR COMMUNITY AS THE PERSON IN PARLIAMENT IS A HUGE HONOR AND IT'S ABOUT CHAMPIONING PEOPLE THAT YOU THINK IS GREAT AND FOR DAVID IT WAS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE IN HIS COMMUNITY GOT THE BEST REPRESENTATION AND THE BEST ARGUMENTS AND THE BEST CASE MADE FOR WHAT THEY NEEDED EVERY TIME HE GOT A CHANCE TO DO SO AND YOU ONLY HAD TO TAKE A LOOK AT PARLIAMENT THAT HE MADE USE OF EVERY SECOND HE HAD AND HE CHAMPIONED HIS COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE MINISTERS, IN CABINET AND PRIME MINISTER EVEN, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHERS WHO WANT TO DO THE BEST FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND SEE THAT AS DEMOCRACY.
I THINK BOTH ARE IMPORTANT.
THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT AND YOU MAKE IT WORK.
I'M COMING TO YOU FROM AN INTERESTING VANTAGE POINTS WHEREBY THE UNITED STATES, UNIC THE UK WE HAVE MASS MURDERS QUITE FREQUENTLY IN THE U.S.
THAT YOU'VE COVERED AND I'VE COVERED AS PELL.
A MURDER HIS BEEN BRUTAL AND SHE WAS REPRESENTED BY STEVE SCALISE WHO THANKFULLY SURVIVED, A MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND THE RHETORIC THAT CONTINUES TO BECOME MORE AND MORE DIVISIVE AND HEATED BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UK AND AROUND THE WORLD.
IF YOU CAN JUST LASTLY, SPEAK TO THAT DANGER AND THE EFFECT THAT IT HAS ON DEMOCRACY AND THE RIGHTS OF CONSTITUENTS TO MEET WITH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND VOTE THEM OUT OR VOTE THEM IN, BUT DO IT WITH CIVILITY.
THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL TO HAVE COURTESY AND IF YOU WANT FREEDOM THE TWO ARE CONNECTED.
YOU CAN BE CLEAR.
YOU CAN BE FORTH RIGHT, YOU CAN BE STRIDENT TO BE VIOLENT IN LOS ANGELES OR IN ACTION IS WHAT I'VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS IS THE SUPER BOWLITY TO COMMUNICATE RAGE AND MORES HAVE RALLY THAN BEFORE, YOU HAD TO FIND AN ENROLL OPEN AND A PEOPLE RELAXED ON ON WIDER -- SO FINDING WES IN WHICH YOU REMEMBER OUR LAND HAS, AND THE REALITY IS THAT WE ARE THE ZEITGEIST THAT SHAPES US AS INDIVIDUALS WHEREVER YOU LIVE AND WHOEVER YOU ARE TO CONDUCT YOURSELF, AND YOUR DECHL DEMOCRAT SEE AND COUNTRY THAT YOU CAN OPERATE.
WE CAN ALL POISON THE WELL.
SUCH AN IMPORTANT AND POIGNANT POINT TO MAKE.
TOM, I AM SO SORRY AGAIN FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR FRIEND.
IT'S A DARK DAY IN THE UK.
WE ARE SENDING OUR CONDOLENCES FROM ACROSS THE POND TO YOU AND TO EVERYBODY THERE IN THE UK AND OBVIOUSLY MOSTLY TO DAVID AMESS' WIFE JULIA AND FIVE CHILDREN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
> AND LET'S BRING IN CORRESPONDENT CYRIL VAUGHNE AT DOWNING STREET AND THE PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE IN LONDON AND WE ARE EXPECTING A PRESS BRIEFING AT ANY TIME AND OF COURSE, WE WILL GO THERE DIRECTLY AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENS, BUT LET'S JUST GO BACK AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT DOWNING STREET'S RESPONSE HAS BEEN, BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OBVIOUSLY, OFFERING HIS CONDOLENCES AS WELL, BUT THE QUESTION OF SECURITY FOR MPs IS A BIG ONE AND ONE THAT HE DIDN'T REALLY ADDRESS.
IN FACT, HE TRIED TO AVOID IT OR SKIRT IT FOR NOW, AT LEAST.
HE COMPLETELY, THE PRIME MINISTER COMPLETELY AVOIDED THE QUESTION OF SECURITY AND HE WAS POINTEDLY ASKED THAT QUESTION AFTER MAKING HIS INITIAL REMARKS, BIANNA AND THE PRIME MINISTER JUST WOULD NOT BE DRAWN ON THAT TOPIC AND THERE IS A VERY GOOD REASON FOR THAT.
WE ARE NOW SEEING ON THIS TRAGIC DAY THE TWO BRITISH LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN KILLED, MURDERED, IN THE SPACE OF FIVE YEARS.
AND I THINK THERE WAS, AS TRAGIC THE MURDER OF JOE COX FIVE YEARS AGO, IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS AN OUTLIER, THAT IT WAS AN ABNORMALITY GIVEN THIS COUNTRY'S VERY PACIFIED POLITICAL CLIMATE, BUT TWO LAWMAKERS KILLED IN FIVE YEARS, YOU CAN NO LONGER MAKE THAT ARGUMENT AND THERE IS NOW INEVITABLY, THE REALIZATION THAT LAWMAKERS ARE GOING TO NEED EXTRA PROTECTION.
THERE'S -- SOMETHING HAS FAILED IN THE SECURITY SURROUNDING THE LAWMAKERS.
BY DEFINITION BECAUSE THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
IT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING EVER AND IT SHRPT BE HAPPENING AT THIS FREQUENCY AND ALL OF THAT, THAT QUESTION WHICH IS GOING TO BE A DEEP AND PAINFUL ONE, AS TO WHETHER THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED AFTER THE MURDER OF JOE COX, NONE OF THAT WAS ACTUALLY ADDRESSED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WHO SAID THAT TODAY IS A DAY OF GRIEVING AND HE SIMPLY DIDN'T WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THAT QUESTION, BIANNA.
IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE AND ONE THAT DAVID AIMS' WHEN THEY RESUME THE PARLIAMENT SESSION ON MONDAY.
YOU TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF THREATS AND HEIGHTENED THREAT IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT.
I WAS STRUCK THAT JUST LAST WEEK THE LONDON MAYOR EXPLAINED THE LEVEL OF SECURITY THAT HE HAS TO EMPLOY ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
SO THIS IS ISN'T EXCLUSIVE TO ONE OR TWO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ENGULFED MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS POLITICAL SPECTRUM.
THAT'S VERY TRUE.
SIR LINDSAY HOYLE, SINCE HE TOOK THAT POSITION HE'S RECEIVED TWO DEATH THREATS AND HE MENTIONED THE MAYOR OF LONDON AND THIS IS THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT AND MULTIPLE OTHER HIS RECEIVED DEATH THREATS AND ONE ASPECT OF THAT IS SIMPLY THE BAR, THE THRESHOLD AND IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT TO SEND A DEATH THREAT TO A PUBLIC OFFICIAL IS SO MUCH LOWER NOW THAN IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT TAKES NO EFFORT TO THREATEN THE LIFE OF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL IN THIS COUNTRY OR IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS IN EVERYBODY'S HANDS AND IN EVERYBODY'S POCKET AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME.
I THINK THAT'S ONE ASPECT OF THIS AND INEVITABLY THERE'S GOING TO BE A QUESTION AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT WITH YOUR GUEST PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE GENERAL CLIMATE IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE CLIMATE OF POLITICS IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT IS A WIDELY SHARED IMPRESSION THAT IT HAS BECOME MORE VIOLENT.
MORE VIOLENT IN WORD AND TODAY WE ARE SEEING MORE VIOLENT IN ACTION AND ARE THOSE TWO THINGS CONNECTED?
IS THERE A SLIDING SCALE, THE MORE PEOPLE INSULT THEIR POLITICIANS THEN THE HIGHER THE LIKELY HEAD OF A TRAGIC EVENT LIKE TODAY HAPPENING?
I DON'T KNOW.
THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR AN EXPERT, BUT CERTAINLY THE VIOLENCE IN WORDS IS SOMETHING THAT SIR DAVID AMESS HIMSELF HAD NOTICED AND THE GUARDIAN REPORTING THAT HE HAD COMPLAINED OF THE RUDENESS THAT HE WAS EXPOSED TO DURING HIS 2017 POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN HIS CONSTITUENCY.
HE SAID IT WAS VERY SURPRISING, AND HE WAS DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE FACT THAT THE REGULAR PUBLIC REGULARLY USE EXPLETIVES TO ADDRESS POLITICIANS.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS SOMETHING THAT'S GRANTED TO THOSE IN THE UK AND OTHER DEMOCRACIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL.
THREATS, UNFORTUNATELY, MANY WOULD ARGUE ARE PART OF THE TRADE AS WELL, BUT OF COURSE, IT DOES COMPLETELY CHANGE THE NARRATIVE WHEN THEY BECOME VIOLENT AND IT'S NOT ONLY AN ATTACK ON MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, BUT ON DEMOCRACY ITSELF.
CYRIL VAUGHNE, THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE IT AND OF COURSE, WE WILL BRING YOU THAT POLICE PRESSER WHEN WE GET TO IT LIVE.
WELL, NOW, THIS SHOCKING ATTACK IS REVERBERATING AROUND THE WORLD.
THE EU'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UK SAID HE WAS, QUOTE, VERY SHOCKED BY THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF MP SIR DAVID AMESS FOLLOWING THE HORRIFIC ATTACK.
OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY AND LOVED ONES.
THE EU IS JUGGLING A RAFT OF PRESSING WILL CHA EFRJES, FROM AFGHANISTAN TO THE IRAN DEAL TO OF THE POTENTIAL POLISH EXIT FROM THE BLOC.
JOSEPH BURRELL HAS BEEN MEETING WITH, AND I TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO RESPOND TO THIS BRUTAL MURDER.
AN MP, THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE EXCLUSIVE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THERE ARE MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS WITHIN THE EU THAT ARE RECIPIENTS OF THREATS, AS WELL.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE STATE OF SECURITY AND ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS WITHIN THE 27 MEMBERS?
WE ARE SHOCKED BY THIS AWFUL NEWS.
I COULD NOT TELL YOU HOW THE UNITED KINGDOM TAKES CARE OF THE SECURITY OF THE PEOPLE, BUT IN EUROPE FROM TIME TO TIME WE ARE SUFFERING THESE KINDS OF ATTACKS.
SOME PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREET AND SOME IN A PARLIAMENTARIAN MEETING AND SOME PEOPLE DOING THEIR NORMAL ACTIVITIES AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE EUROPE EUROPEAN, THAT ALSO CONFIRMS TOWARD MIGRATION ASK SO WHAT IF IT'S STEROIDS.
FROM ONE TERROR ATTACK, TO ANOTHER ONE THAT KILLED 70 OUTSIDE OF KANDAHAR IN A BOMBING THERE BY THE TERRORISTS ATTACKING THE MINORITY SHIITES, AND YOUR REACTION TO THE INCREASED NOT ONLY VIOLENCE THAT WE'RE SEEING FTHE FOLLOWING AND THE HUMANITARIAN CONDITION THAT DONEES TO DETERIORATE.
ONLY 5% OF AFGHAN HOUSEHOLDS NOW ONLY HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT ACCORDING TO THE U.N.
THE SOCIOECONOMIC SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN IS VERY DIRE.
I HAVE THERE SOME PEOPLE REPRESENTING THE EUROPEAN UNION.
AND CONTACTING THE TALIBAN GOVERNMENT AND AFGHAN SOCIETY.
WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH THE U.S. AND EVERYBODY FROM THE WESTERN WORLD IN ORDER TO AVOID THE SOCIOECONOMIC COLLAPSE OF THE AFGHAN ECONOMY AND THERE WE HAVE A DILEMMA, A DILEMMA OF HOW TO HELP AFGHAN PEOPLE GOING FURTHER WITH HUMANITARIAN HELP AND WHAT WE CALL HUMANITARIAN PLUS WITHOUT SUPPORTING AFGHANISTAN GOVERN AM.
WE CANNOT FUND THE AFGHANISTAN GOVERNMENT SEVERAL OF THE ADMINISTERS WITH TERRORIST PEOPLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, BUT THERE ARE ONE MILLION BOYS AND GIRLS THAT CAN DIE OF HUNGER AND UNTIL NEXT WINTER AND IT IS COMING.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE ASSISTANCE.
AND THEREIN LIES THE QUESTION.
HOW CAN YOU DO THAT?
IS THE EU DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE TALIBAN?
IS IT SOMETHING THAT THE UNITED STATES, YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW THAT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE TALIBAN AS OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT THERE IN AFGHANISTAN.
WHAT IS THE TAKE OF THE EU?
WE ARE NOT RECOGNIZING THE TALIBAN GOVERNMENT, NOT AT ALL, BUT WE CANNOT ABANDON THE AFGHAN PEOPLE AND THEY ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM AND THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING IN AFGHANISTAN AND THEY'RE WORKING IN AFGHANISTAN.
WE ARE ALREADY PROVIDING A LOT OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO FURTHER IF WE WANT THE GIRLS TO VOTE IN SCHOOL AND THERE IS NO CHANCE FOR THE GIRL GOING TO SCHOOL.
AND THREE-QUARTERS OF THE AFGHAN BUDGET.
AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CUT, AND IT SHOWS IF YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, BUT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THE AFGHAN PEOPLE.
THERE APPEARS TO BE A DIVERGENCE BETWEEN U.S. POLICY AND THAT OF THE EU BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, THE TALIBAN IS ASKING THAT THE $8 BILLION OR SO IN AFGHAN RESERVES BE UNFROZEN.
THE U.S. HAD FROZEN THEM AFTER THE TALIBAN TOOK OVER.
IS IT YOUR POSITION THAT THAT MONEY SHOULD BE REALLOCATED TO THE TALIBAN BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE U.S. SAYS THAT THAT IS ITS OWN REAL LEVERAGE IN MAKING SURE THAT THE TALIBAN ACTS ACCORDINGLY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW.
CERTAINLY.
THE LEVERAGE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE TALIBAN AND IT IS OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
THIS SUPPORT HAS NOT GONE TO THE TALIBAN GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT GOVERNMENT IS THIS AND ACCORDING TO THE BENCHMARK, WE DECIDED HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCLUSIVITY ESPECIALLY WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
WEIR N WE ARE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE TALIBAN GOVERNMENT WITH ADDITIONAL MONEY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT YESTERDAY PUT ON THE TABLE 1,000 MILLION EUROS TO PROTECT, TO SUPPORT AFGHAN PEOPLE WHICH IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT OF RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.
WE CANNOT PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO OUR GOVERNMENT AND MANY OF THE MINISTERS ARE ON THE TERRORIST LIST OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
WOULD THE TALIBAN ALLOW A THIRD PARTY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND AID?
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO TALK WITH THEM BECAUSE ONE THING IS NOT RECOGNIZING AND ANOTHER THING IS STALKING AT DOHA, TALKING AND DISCUSSING WITH THE TALIBANS AND WE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION HAVE PEOPLE IN KABUL TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING.
YOU CANNOT ACT IN AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALKING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN POWER WHO CONTROL THE TERRITORY AND WHO CONTROL THE ADMINISTRATION.
LIKE IT OR NOT THEY ARE THE TALIBAN AND IT MEANS THAT IF YOU WANT TO HELP THE AFGHAN PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO DO IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT AND NOT THROUGH THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.
IN YOUR MEETINGS WITH YOUR COUNTERPART, SECRETARY BLINKEN, IS HE IN AGREEMENT?
YES.
I THINK THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY AGREEING ON THE FACT THAT WE CANNOT ABANDON AFGHAN PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE UNDER THE TALIBAN RULES.
THE WAY WE ARE GOING TO DO WILL DEPEND ON THE AFGHAN, TALIBAN GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE.
DID YOU GET A SENSE FROM SECRETARY BLINKEN THAT THERE MAY BE A CHANGE IN POLICY IN REGARDS TO THE 8 BILLION IN FROZEN RESERVES?
NO.
NOT BY THE TIME BEING AND THERE ARE A LOT OF LEGAL CONSTRAINTS AND ALSO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE 11 SEPTEMBER ATTACKS.
I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE ANY CHANGE ON THIS POSITION, BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF PROVIDING RESOURCES.
AS I SAID, THE COMMISSION HAS PROVIDED 1,000 MILLION EUROS TO SUPPORT THE AFGHAN PEOPLE AND IT'S URGENT TO DO THAT.
YOU ARE VERY BEING VERY DIPLOMATIC HERE.
JUST WEEKS AFTER YOU AND MANY OF YOUR EUROPEAN COLLEAGUES WERE OUTRIGHT SHOCKED BY THE MANNER IN WHICH THE U.S. LEFT AFGHANISTAN AND LEFT ALLIES LIKE YOURSELF AND OTHER EU MEMBERS AND THEIR MILITARIES IN HARM'S WAY.
IN FACT, YOU WROTE IN 'THE NEW YORK TIMES,' WE FOUND OURSELVES NOT ONLY FOR THE EVACUATIONS OUT OF THE KABUL AIRPORT AND MORE BROADLY DEPENDING ON AMERICAN DECISIONS AND THAT SHOULD SERVE AS A WAKE-UP CALL ABOUT ANYONE WHO SERVES ON THE ALLIANCE AND THAT IS MY ROLE, MEANING YOUR ROLE.
HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THAT ROLE IN ASSERTING YOURSELF AND RECOMMITTING TO THE ALLIANCE?
LOOK, THERE IS NO MORE STRONG ALLIANCE THAN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE U.S.
THERE IS NO MORE LINK THAN THE TRANSATLANTIC LINK AND THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER, VENTS LIKE THIS, WE WANT TO PUT UP, TO SET UP A PERMANENT STRUCTURE OF DIALOGUE AND SECURITY AND DEFENSE.
A KIND OF EARLY WARNING, A KIND OF PERMANENT COMMUNICATION AND AN AGREEMENT AMONG US.
WE ARE ALLIES AND ALLIES TALK TO EACH OTHER AND THE ALLIES ACT TOGETHER AND THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP HAS TO BE REINFORCED AND EVERY TIME THERE IS A DIVISION NG MOO TUS BENEFITS OUR ADER HAVE SEARIES AND IT IS TRUE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDREW AND ANY CONSULTATION WITH US.
WAS A UNILATERAL DECISIONS.
BUT IT WAS PRESIDENT BIDEN WHO FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THAT.
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD TO IMPLEMENT THE DECISION TAKEN BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
IT WAS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO REWIND HIS DECISION AND ONE CAN DISCUSS HOW THE DECISION WAS IMPLEMENTED, BUT WAS NOT PRESIDENT BIDEN WHO NEGOTIATED WITH THE TALIBANS TO DO SO.
MANY ARE CALLING THIS A WAKE-UP CALL AND THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR THE EUROPEAN ARMED FORCES.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
LOOK, ITS MEMBER STATE HAS ITS OWN FORCES AND THE CAPABILITIES AND THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND IT IS FOUR TIMES MORE THAN RUSSIA, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A PULLEY.
WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE, TO PULL PART OF THE MILITARY OF THE MEMBER STATES AND IN ORDER TO SOME CRISIS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I HAVE TO INSIST ONCE AND AGAIN THAT THERE IS NOTHING AGAINST NATO.
BY THE CONTRARY, A STRONG EUROPEAN UNION THE STRONGER WE WILL BE FROM THE MILITARY POINT OF VIEW AND THE STRONGER WILL BE NATO.
THE STRONGER WE WILL BE AND THE STRONGER WILL BE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. AND PRESIDENT BIDEN AND PRESIDENT MACRON AGREED TO THAT WHEN THEY AGREED AND PRESIDENT BIDEN RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR A STRONGER CAPABILITY OF THE EUROPEAN MEMBER STATES AND THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS COMPLIMENTARY TO NATURE.
COMPLIMENTARY TO NATURE AND NOT APART FROM NATO, BUT BEING PART OF A BROADER WAY OF ENGAGING WITH A CRISIS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO FACE.
MR. BURRELL, WE ARE GOING TO UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.
A LOT OF TOPICS WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO TODAY AND FOR NOW WE HOPE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN VERY SOON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU.
NOW TURNING TO THE STATE OF POLITICS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
OUR NEXT GUEST RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020, AND FOR NEW YORK CITY MAYOR JUST THIS YEAR.
BOTH CAMPAIGNS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT NOW TECH ENTREPRENEUR ANDREW YANG HAS ANNOUNCED HE'S LEAVING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO LAUNCH HIS OWN, THE FORWARD PARTY.
HERE HE IS SPEAKING WITH MICHELLE MARTIN ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HIS BOOK, HIS NEW PARTY AND HIS VISION FOR AMERICAN POLITICS.
THANKS, BIANNA.
ANDREW YANG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME, MICHELLE.
SO BEFORE WE GO FORWARD WHICH IS THE NAME OF YOUR LATEST BOOK I'D LIKE TO GO BACKWARD FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR CAREER AND OF COURSE, YOU RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020, FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE AND NEVER RAN FOR ANYTHING BEFORE AND HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS BEFORE SO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY WHY YOU RAN.
I RAN FOR PRESIDENT BECAUSE I WANT TODDLE STRAIGHT THE IDEA OF UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME WHICH I BELIEVE IS NECESSARY PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN OUR ECONOMY IS BEING TRANSFORMED BEFORE OUR EYES.
TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT DOING WORK THAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS DO, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO IT, TO US.
I BELIEVE THE ECONOMY WAS ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES TO DONALD TRUMP BEING ELECTED IN 2016.
THE CONGRESS SUPPORTED THE FIRST ITERATION OF IT ANYWAY, AND IT IS UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME.
THE BEST THING COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON IS THE CHILD TAX CREDIT THAT LIFTED MILLIONS OF FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY AND THAT MONEY IS GOING DIRECTLY TO MAKING KIDS AND PEOPLE, FAMILIES HEALTHIER, MENTALLY HEALTHIER AND MORE ABLE TO LEARN, SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
TO YOUR POINT, MICHELLE, THE CARES ACT DID SEND $1200 CHECKS TO TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, BUT THAT WAS ONLY 17% OF THE TOTAL.
WE ACTUALLY COULD HAVE SENT EVERYONE $6,000 IF THE BULK OF THE 2.2 TRILLION CARES ACT ACTUALLY WENT TO PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AND INSTEAD IT WENT TO AIRLINES, BANKS AND INSTITUTIONS AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WRONG BALANCE.
YOU RAN FOR MAYOR OF NEW YORK THIS YEAR.
YOU DIDN'T DO AS WELL AS YOU'D HOPE IN THAT SENSE.
YOU GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM EARLY ON, BUT YOU WOUND UP.
THERE WAS A NEW SYSTEM FOR VOTING IN NEW YORK CITY, AND JUST SOMETHING YOU ALSO ADVOCATE.
WHY DO YOU THINK YOU DIDN'T DO AS WELL THERE?
YOU CAME IN FOURTH.
I WAS SO PROUD OF OUR CAMPAIGN.
I GOT 115,000 FIRST-PLACE VOTES AND HAD MORE INDIVIDUAL DONORS THAN ANY CAMPAIGN IN THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY.
WE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL WHICH WAS TO BE IN POSITION TO DO A LOT OF GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, BUT AND WE CAN SEE AROUND US.
DID YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN?
I PLEDGED A BILLION DOLLARS TO TRY AND ALLEVIATE POVERTY WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT START.
THE CITY IS NOT IN PHENOMENAL SHAPE RIGHT NOW, AND I THOUGHT I COULD HELP.
THAT'S THE BASIC MOTIVATION, BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE RUN IT IF I WASN'T READY TO COMMIT YEARS OF MY LIFE TO TRY TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK AND I'M STILL TRYING TO HELP IN MY OWN WAY.
SO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK.
HOW DID THE BOOK COME ABOUT?
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT I WAS GOING 100 MILES AN HOUR AND FIGURE OUT WHAT I'D LEARNED BECAUSE I'D LEARNED A LOT AND THE BOOK CAME OUT OF THOSE REFLECTIONS.
I SPENT ABOUT A THIRD OF THE BOOK AS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL ACT OF RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKED LIKE AND HOW WE DID GET TRACTION AND ATTENTION, BUT THEN I STARTED TO DIG INTO WHY IT IS THAT THINGS ARE NOT WORKING WELL ON A NATIONAL LEVEL AND I OPENED BY TALKING ABOUT HOW I THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD LOVE BASIC INCOME AND THEN WE CAN HAVE IT AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT AMERICANS WANT THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF US WANT, FOR EXAMPLE, LOWER DRUG PRICES AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DELIVER ON THOSE THINGS, AND SO I STARTED DIGGING INTO THE DYSFUNCTION AND OUR SYSTEM IS DESIGNED NOT TO WORK AND IF UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME WAS THE WHAT?
THIS BOOK BECAME THE HOW AND HOW DO WE REALIGN INCENTIVES WITH THE PEOPLE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEIR INCENTIVES ARE ACTUALLY IN OTHER DIRECTIONS AND IT'S LEADING US TO POLARIZATION AND CIVIL UNREST AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE.
WHAT ARE THOSE REASONS WHY THE SYSTEM IS DYSFUNCTIONAL?
IT'S DYSFUNCTIONAL BECAUSE PEOPLE'S INCENTIVES ARE NOT TO ACTUALLY COMPROMISE AND SOLVE PROBLEMS.
RIGHT NOW CONGRESS HAS A NATIONAL APPROVAL RATING OF 28%. VERY LOW AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS HAVE A RE-ELECTION RATE OF 92% AND THEY'RE ALMOST ASSURED TO GET THEIR JOBS BACK REGARDLESS IF THEY DELIVER OR DON'T DELIVER FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IT TURNS OUT THAT 83% OF THE DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE EITHER VERY BLUE OR VERY RED, AND SO KEEPING YOUR JOB IS NOT CONTINGENT UPON WHETHER YOU DO A GOOD JOB FOR 5 % OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S CONTINGENT UPON YOU PLEASING AND VACATING 10% TO 20% OF VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
WHICH IT YOU DO COMPROMISE, YOU ARE CAST OUT AND PRIMARIED AND POTENTIALLY LOSE YOUR JOB TO THE PARTY LINE WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY YOU SEE SO MANY REPUBLICANS REFUSING TO COLLABORATE ON ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WILL THREATEN THEIR JOB SECURITY.
SO IF THOSE ARE THE INCENTIVES THEN YOU WILL EXPECT IT TO GET WORSE AND NOT BETTER AND THAT'S BEING COMPOUNDED BY MEDIA OE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SEPARATE US INTO IDEA LOGICAL TRIBES AND IT WILL GET WORSE, NOT BETTER AND IT'S TO REALIGN THE SIN SENTIVES WITH NOT THE 20% OF EITHER IS THE ASK THE WAY TO DO THAT IS BY SHIFTING ON OPEN PRIMARIES AND RANKED CHOICE TREED UP.
FOR EXAMPLE REPUBLICAN CHANNEL VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP DESPITE THAT BEING UNPOPULAR TO PARTISANS, SHE NOW CAN APPEAL TOTE GENERAL PUBLIC.
GUESS THE QUESTION BECOMES WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS?
I MEAN, HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY GET ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE THERE ARE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE ABOUT THE DISEASES AND THEY MAY DISAGREE ABOUT THE CAUSE OF IT.
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE CAUSE OF IT IS REDISTRICTING AND GERRYMANDERING.
INSTEAD OF THE VOTERS CHOOSING THEIR LEADERS, THE LEADERS ARE CHOOSING THEIR VOTERS.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT.
IT'S ONE REASON WHY 83% OF THESE SEATS ARE VERY BLUE AND VERY RED BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DRAWN THAT WAY, BUT YOU CAN STILL IMPROVE THE INCENTIVES OF SOMEONE THAT IS REPRESENTING ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS BECAUSE AGAIN, 51% OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT DISTRICT HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS AND IT'S STILL A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT.
IN TERMS OF THE GEOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES YOU CAN SEE OUR COUNTRY IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE POLARIZED BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AND BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND LEVELS OF DIVERSITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT EDUCATION LEVELS AND THAT IS DRIVING US TOWARDS A PRECIPICE OF A NEW CIVIL WAR TYPE ENVIRONMENT.
RIGHT NOW POLITICAL STRESS IS AT KNOW ALL-TIME HIGH AND 42% OF PEOPLE REGARD THE OTHER SIDE AS MORTAL ENEMIES AND EVIL AND IT'S A TERRIBLE ENVIRONMENT AND EVEN WHEN OBAMA WAS RINUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, STATES LIKE IOWA AND OHIO WERE PURPLE STATES AND OBAMA WON.
SO THE QUESTION IS REALLY WHAT HAS GONE ON OVER THIS LAST PERIOD IN IT'S NOT THAT LONG A PERIOD OF EIGHT OR 12 YEARS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A CASE IN A PLACE LIKE IOWA OR OHIO BASED UPON COMMON INTEREST AND COMMON GROWTH FUND ROOTED OFTEN IN ECONOMICS.
WHAT CHANGED IN THAT TIME PERIOD IN YOUR VIEW THAT MADE IT MORE TOXIC?
A LOT OF IT IS THAT WE'VE GUTTED LOCAL JOURNALISM AND ALL POLITICS HAS BECOME NATIONALIZED AND IT'S MORE INTO THE IDEOLOGICAL TRIBES AND I DO THINK THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HASN'T MADE AS A STRONG OR COMPELLING CASE FROM MY TIME IN THOSE STATES AND SAY I'M A DEMOCRAT, AND THEY WOULD REACT VERY NEGATIVELY AND I WOULD THINK TO MYSELF THEN YOU'RE A WAITRESS, RETAIL CLERK OR TRUCK DRIVER.
I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE DEMOCRATS AND MORE OFTEN THEY DID NOT.
I TRY AND PRESENT THIS IN MY BOOK WHICH IS THAT AT THIS POINT ALL POLITICS HAS BECOME TRIBAL, AND WE THINK WE'RE ARGUING ON POLICY, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT MOST AMERICANS DON'T THINK IN POLICY, AND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE WAY THEY IDENTIFY POLITICALLY AND THEIR POLICY VIEWPOINTS ARE ACTUALLY QUITE LOW, AND I KNOW IF I TALKED TO THE CONSERVATIVES IN IOWA, DO YOU THINK THE DRUG COMPANIES ARE GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER AND WE SHOULD HOLD THEM TO TASK AND GET THE PRICE DOWN, THEY'LL ALL SAY YES, YES, YES.
WE SHOULD DO THAT.
IF YOU SAY HEY, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THEN THEY'LL REACT NEGATIVELY BECAUSE THEY'VE ESSENTIALLY BEEN TRAINED IN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE VERY, VERY BAD.
IN MANY WAYS ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS ADOPT NEUTRAL LANGUAGE AROUND ALL OF THESE ISSUES BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ARGUING IN SYMBOLS AND LANGUAGE AT THIS POINT AND IF YOU GET DOWN TO THE BRASS TAX OF POLICY, 75% OF AMERICANS AGREE WITH THESE THINGS.
HOW MUCH OF THAT IS WHITE NATIONALISM STOKED BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT?
THERE'S CERTAINLY A VERY SIGNIFICANT ELEMENT OF THAT IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, BUT ROAMING AROUND NOW, YOU CAN CHARACTERIZE THEM AS RED STATES MYSELF AS AN ASIAN MAN, I ENCOUNTERED NEXT TO NO DIRECT RACISM IN THAT LIGHT.
PEOPLE WERE COMPLETELY OPEN TO ME, MY MESSAGE, SUPPORTING ME.
42% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPORTING ME WEREN'T SURE THEY WOULD SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
I WAS ABLE TO REACH INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS BY ADOPTING A DIFFERENT POLITICAL LANGUAGE WHICH WAS NOT EVEN DELIBERATE ON MY PART.
I'M JUST A GUY, AND I JUST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE GRAVITATED TOWARDS IT.
SO IN A WAY, TO ME, MICHELLE, THAT'S A RECIPE FOR US WHERE IF YOU HAVE A TWO-SIDED POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND THEY'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE INFLAMED AND BY THE WAY, THE INCENTIVES WILL MAKE THAT WORSE, NOT BETTER OVER TIME THEN YOU DO NEED TO TRY TO CHANGE UP THE DYNAMIC AND THE INCENTIVES WHICH IS WHY MY FORWARD PARTY IS SO LASER FOCUSED ON THE PRIMARIES AND RANK CHOICE VOTING WHICH YOU CAN IMPLEMENT IN 24 STATES IN THE COUNTRY VIA BALLOT INITIATIVE AND THAT'S THE WAY IT HAPPENED IN ALASKA, AND JUST A GROUP OF ALASKANS WHICH IS A RED STATE, THAT IT WOULD BE GENUINELY REPRESENTATIVES.
WHY OPEN PRIMARIES AND RANK CHOICE VOTING.
RIGHT NOW IT ENDS UP DEEPENING AND STRENGTHENING FOR SOMEONE TO ADHERE TO THE PARTY LINE WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY YOU SEE SO MANY REPUBLICANS IN TOTAL LOCKSTEP WITH TRUMP.
SO IF YOU HAVE OPEN PRIMARIES, THEN ANYONE CAN VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE AND THEN RANKED CHOICE VOTING THAT YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE REPUBLICANS IN THE SAME RACE AND PEOPLE WON'T FEAR THE SPOILER EFFECT.
RANKED CHOICE VOTING DISCOURAGES NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING AND IT MAKES IT SO DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW CAN EMERGE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BUILD A COALITION OF 50.1%. SO IF YOU WOULD HAVE HAD RANKED CHOICE VOTING IN, FOR EXAMPLE, A REPUBLICAN NOMINATION PROCESS IN 2016, TRUMP NEVER WINS A NOMINATION AND DOESN'T BECOME PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE WAS RUNG AROUND WITH 30 TO 40% AND HE WAINT WASN'T GETTING 50% AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN VIRGINIA JUST USED THIS PROCESS, AND GUESS WHAT?
IT ENDED UP REWARDING SOMEONE MORE MODERATE TOWARD THE MIDDLE.
IF YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU'LL WIND UP PUSHING TO THE SIDE THE FOLKS WHO CAN REALLY GIN UP 25% OR 30% WHICH BY THE WAY, RIGHT NOW YOU CAN JUMP 25%, 30% YOU WIN IN THESE PARTY PRIMARIES AND IF YOU OPEN IT UP TO THE GENERAL PARTY, PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT UP AND SAYING I'M NOT SURE THIS IS WHO I WANT REPRESENTING OUR DISTRICT AND WE'LL END UP BRINGING ENERGY TOWARD FOLKS WHO ARE MORE REASONABLE AND ENDING UP WORKING TOGETHER.
WHAT'S THE WAY FORWARD?
THE WAY FORWARD IS WHAT?
YOU'RE ADVOCATING WHAT IN THE C CREATION OF THE FORWARD PARTY?
THE FORWARD PARTY CONSISTS OF SIX PRINCIPLES.
NUMBER ONE BEING OPEN PRIMARIES AND RANK CHOICE VOTING BECAUSE IT'S THE KEY MECHANISM CHANGE THAT WILL IMPROVE ALL OF OUR POLITICAL INCENTIVES AND THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES.
WHAT DOES THE THIRD PARTY ACCOMPLISH?
YOU ARE NOW CREATING A POLITICAL MEDIA INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AROUND YOURSELF IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU CRITICIZE OTHER PEOPLE FOR DOING WHERE THE ONLY PURPOSE IS TO SORT OF PERPETUATE YOUR BRAND, AS IT WERE.
SO WHAT'S THE -- WALK ME THROUGH IT.
WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS AN ACTUAL PARTY AND YOU WANT TO REGISTER IT AS A PARTY?
WHAT'S THE PLAN HERE.
WELL, I CONCLUDED THAT POLARIZATION WAS GOING TO GET WORSE AND NOT BETTER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE FORCES WILL DRIVE US.
YOU HAVE TO TRY TO CHANGE THE INCENTIVES AND THE WAY TO CHANGE THOSE INCENTIVES ARE BALLOT INITIATIVES IN 24 STATES THAT ARE BLUE, RED, PURPLE AND SO THAT IS THE MOVEMENT.
THAT IS THE FORWARD PARTY YOU CAN JOIN AS A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT AND AS A REGISTERED REPUBLICAN AND JUST IF YOU WANT TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY MORE REASONABLE AND FUNCTIONAL AGAIN, YOU SHOULD JOIN THE FORWARD PARTY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND YOU CANNOT DO THIS FROM THE CONTEXT OF ONE OF THE MAJOR PARTIES AND YOU'RE OPERATING IN BLUE STATES OR RED STATES.
SO THAT'S THE PLAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE GET THIS FROM ME, BUT I'M JUST SOMEONE WHO WANTS THINGS TO WORK BETTER AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF AMERICANS WHO CAN RELATE TO THAT.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ACTUALLY DO?
THIS IS ALL HAT AND NO CATTLE AT THIS POINT?
LET'S SAY, HYPOTHETICALLY.
EVEN LIKE THE DISTRICT OF COLOMBIA, YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO REGISTER AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE.
YOU'D HAVE TO BE A DECLINE.
I KNOW, MICHELLE, WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY I SAY VERY EXPLICITLY, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT YOU TO CHANGE YOUR PARTY REGISTRATION BECAUSE DOING SO WOULD DISENFRANCHISE YOU AND WHY WOULD I ADVOCATE THAT.
SAY 10 MILLION AMERICANS GET TOGETHER AND SAY THIS SYSTEM WILL END UP LEADING US TO RUIN AND WE'LL BE AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS AND LET'S TRY TO CHANGE THE INCENTIVES.
IF WE HAD 10 MILLION AMERICANS WHO WERE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT, GUARANTEED WE WOULD PASS THESE BALLOT INITIATIVES AND HALF A DOZEN STATES FREE UP TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR OWN JUDGEMENT WHICH MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOCRACY STANDING THE AT THE TIME OF TIME AND FAILING AND I THINK THAT'S EYE WORTHY MOVEMENT.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
WE'LL MAKE THESE INITIATIVES SUCCESSFUL AND WE'LL ELEVATE AND REWARD CANDIDATES WHO SUBSCRIBE TO OPEN PRIMARIES TO TERM LIMITS FOR THEMSELVES AS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THESE ARE COMMON SENSE MEASURES WHICH WILL MAKE OUR CONGRESS MORE FUNCTIONAL.
AND THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE WERE SUNK, AND MOST OF US CAN FEEL BAD AND WE CAN CHANGE THE PAST.
AND PERMISSION IS TO CHANGE THESE POLITICAL INCENTIVES FOR REPRESENTATIVES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IF I SHOWED UP IN A RED STATE AS A GRAD, I WOULD MISTRUST ANYTHING THAT I WAS DOING AS A PART OF A DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE, AND THE GOAL HAS TO TRY AND WORK ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND BEING AN INDEPENDENT IS A MUCH MORE PRACTICAL WAY TO GO.
I WAS A DEMOCRAT FOR 26 YEARS AND MY GOAL WAS JUST TO HELP MY COUNTRY, AND IF I THOUGHT THAT BEING AFFILIATED WITH THE PARTY WAS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT I WOULD DO THAT, BUT I THINK THIS IS A BETTER APPROACH RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I DO HOPE WE'LL TALK AGAIN.
ANDREW YANG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.
THANK YOU, MICHELLE.
IT WAS A PLEASURE.
I'LL COME BACK ANY TIME.
ALTERNATIVE VOTING SYSTEMS COULD HELP BRIDGE AMERICA'S POLITICAL DIVIDE.
FINALLY, A GIANT LEAP FORWARD FOR WOMAN KAND.
ASTRONAUT WEN YAOPING IS SET TO MAKE HISTORY AS THE FIRST FEMALE ASTRONAUT TO WORK ON CHINA'S SPACE STATION.
THEY WILL SPEND 183 DAYS IN ORBIT, THE LONGEST MISSION TO DATE.
SHE WILL BE THE FIRST CHINESE WOMAN EVER TO CONDUCT A SPACE WALK.
ASKED ABOUT HER PIN EAONEERING , SHE SAID ANY MANNED MISSION IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A WOMAN ON THE TEAM.
REMEMBER, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME AND THE SHOW ON TWITTER.
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