Episode 49 - Fauci Thunderdome!

Hello listener, and welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! In this installment, Episode 49, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay step into the debate Thunderdome and duke it out over a topic that has been back in the news after a (thankfully) long hiatus: Anthony Fauci and, more broadly, the question of accountability for decisions made during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The subject was resurfaced in congressional hearings in which Fauci was subpoenaed by Republicans to testify on his actions during that time, an effort spearheaded by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid answering questions, despite a blanket pardon from former president Joe Biden. Listen in to hear your usually-simpatico hosts butt heads on the usefulness of the hearings, the trust crisis in public health, and the question of Fauci himself - hero or villain?Then, we shift gears to discuss a couple of secondary stories related to the war in Iran: the new Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi Arabia “alliance” and President Trump’s clandestine escape from a Turkish sojourn in the face of serious Iranian threats. We discuss whether that ‘Islamic NATO’ is worth anything (it isn’t) and whether the surreptitious switcheroo to safeguard the president was an affront to journalists or the result of falsified Israeli intelligence (it wasn’t).Check it out, follow us on Twitter/X (Mike / Art), and share the podcast with anyone you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening. We’ll be back next week with an earlier episode, then will be on vacation until September. See you next time! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rationalpolicy.com