A new and ingenious and, it turns out, a legal way for Wall Street traders to get even more fantastically rich, using junk bonds, to stage corporate takeovers. And you dont need to understand the intricacies of this Junk Bond Scam to know the kind of character he was. Do you remember the movie Wall Street . Michael douglas, greed is good . That was based on Michael Milken. This is how the post described him on the day he was finally indicted. Quote, milken, a Wharton School graduate, who lives in Clark Gables former home in california, and drives to work in a mercedes benz, has been praised by some as a Brilliant Visionary And Assail by others for triggering a wave of hostile takeovers while generating fees for young and aggressive traders. He did that, and then the law showed up. The king of junk bonds, Michael Milken, was indicted today on charges of fraud and racketeering. Charged with him in the indictment was his brother and another former trader for russell burner lambert. Im of their own lawful schemes and their own interests in the racketeering enterprise. The indictment of Michael Milken follows one of the longest and most highly publicized investigations ever in a crime on Wall Street. It is an astonishing turn of events for a man who was acclaimed a financial wizard. He was called Americas Junk Bond king. Operating out of this office in beverly hills, he made hundreds of millions of dollars for himself and his coworkers. He put together deals, finance them, and profited from them. It said milken, in effect, hid securities with both ski, put them in his account while milken actually retain control. Thats illegal. Thats illegal. And again, you dont have to understand the financial intricacies of this all work. But there was an astonishing amount of money involved. You heard there in that report that they wanted him to fork over 1. 8 billion dollars, billion dollars with a b. Thats what they alleged he made off of these illegal schemes. But with numbers that biggs, prosecutors have a dilemma. Once you indict one of the richest people on the planet, how do you make sure that he doesnt run away to avoid prosecution . In 1987, in one year, he earned more than mcdonalds. Now not Michael Milkens company, Michael Milken personally. He out earned mcdonalds that year. So if you are somebody with infinite resources, but you are also staring down a 98 count felony indictment, how do prosecutors make It Worth your while to not flee . To not, you know, run off to some other place on the earth where you would be out of the reach of American Courts . When prosecutors got Michael Milken before a judge, they asked the judge for serious bail, unheard of bail, Record Setting. They asked his bail to be set at a quarter billion dollars, 250 Million. The highest Bail Request Anybody in america had ever faced. But hes one of the richest people in the world, right . Even 250 Million was Couch Cushion Money to him. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to make him think twice about fleeing. If flynn would make it costs 250 Million . Maybe. In the end, the judge did not grant that Record Setting bail. And Michael Milken did not skip town. He also ultimately pled guilty to multiple felonies. He did pay hundreds of million dollars in fines. And he was sentenced to ten years in prison. He served two years of that time. But that 250 Million dollar bail request, from prosecutors, again, they didnt get it. But that was the highest bail that prosecutors had ever asked for in history, up until that point. In the years that followed, i can tell you, because everything is bigger in texas, a couple of Texas Judges tried Setting Bail for a couple of Murder Suspects in the billions of dollars. Texas judges tried it but those numbers were lowered or overturned by other courts. The record for the highest bail that actually stuck, that record was set to decades after michael million dollar indictment. In the case of a Hedge Fund Charge in an insider trading case. He posted 100 Million bail, after he was indicted in 2008. Prosecutors got just what they asked for. Thats what he had to put up, it was the highest Bail Amount ever in american history. And you are going to have to forgive me. Just indulge me for a second, though, because its friday and i need to give you a Side Note here. Do you remember the name John Dowd . John dowd was one of the lawyers who, then president trump, hired to defend him during the mueller investigation. A few years before joining the trump legal team, John Dowd was the Defense Lawyer for Barrage Roger numb, in this insider trading case. He was convicted of 14 felony counts, thats the longest he had to put up 100 Million dollars bond. On the day he was convicted, a Cnbc Camera Crew caught up with his lawyer, with John Dowd. Cnbc caught up with mr. Dowd just a short time ago. Get the bleep out of here. Thats what i have for cnbc. Wow. Well i never get tired of that tape, i never get tired of that type. That guy lost that case spectacularly, and then he got hired by donald trump. Thats what i got from cnbc. That Billionaire Hedge Fund manager, with a huge insider trading case, he got the record sentence. We also believe he got the record for the highest bail ever set in american history. That record stood until today, when the chairman of donald trumps inaugural committee was released from custody after hosting a 250 Million Dollar Bond. Prosecutors asked for that but couldnt get it for Michael Milken, but today they actually got it for Thomas Barrack. 250 Million he had to put up and again, why did he have to put up so much money . Because they think you have that big of an incentive to flee where Courts Cant get you. Its not just his bet wealth, Tom Barrack is charged with being an agent of a foreign pair our. Working to influence the u. S. Government and its policy, on behalf of the government of the united arab emirates, while the Uae And Saudi arabia were pumping A Billion and a half dollars into Tom Barracks company. Prosecutors actually didnt want any Bond Arrangement for him. They pointed out that barrack has these connections to very senior leathers leaders in these two countries. Neither of these countries, Uae And Saudi arabia, have Extradition Treaties with the united states. So if he was able to get to one of these countries, via private aircraft, those countries leaders could protect him. So prosecutors wanted no bond. That said, Thomas Barrack did get released from Custody Today on a 250 Million Dollar Bond that he posted, the highest bond ever posted in u. S. History, as far as we can tell. And that was a bit of a compromise. He also had to give up his passports. Hes wearing a gps monitoring bracelet. Hes going to be back in court In Brooklyn for arraignment on monday. This hearing was in california, which means he can get to New York on his own steam, rather than getting flung there on Con Air by u. S. Marshals. His legal team really, really wanted to get him out of custody before he has that Monday Court date. According to people familiar with the matter, his legal team focused on trying to keep the client off of Con Air, the famed u. S. Marshal service plane, fame for transporting those in u. S. Custody. So he doesnt have to take an air, hes not going to be shackled in a martial plane. He can take one of his private planes. From california, where hes been in custody, to the new York Custody appearance. And because he has a bracelet on, and because he has wealth, and everyone in his life is going to be there, they think he wont find a way to Abu Dhabi or riyadh, in the meantime, to avoid the reach of the u. S. Courts. But as we await that Monday Court hearing in his case. Heres something else to watch for when it comes to this prosecution of trumps inaugural chairman. You may remember that the day after barrack was arrested, nbc reported that several of the prosecutors who brought chargers, for some reason, prosecutors sat on those charges for a very long time, before this Weeks Indictment finally went to head. According to cnns reporting, prosecutors had enough evidence to bring charges against Tom Barrack last year, but they held off until trump was out of a office. And the new administration was in place. Two sources tell the u. S. Attorney In Brooklyn at the time, which are donahue expressed misgivings about the case. Its unclear if you delay the case outright or if prosecutors chose not to move forward at the time knowing the u. S. Attorney would not support it. He was then subsequently promoted by Attorney General Bill Barr to a top job at the Justice Department. Job well done how we reward the sky. Only after trump was gone and a new president took over and the trump appointees were out of these leadership roles, only then could the case against Thomas Barrack go ahead. What is that all about . Its interesting about the prosecution of Tom Barrack but its worrying about the Justice Department. Why is that a favor to the former president . Was that a political favor to the former president being dOne By Enforcement Officials . If the doj is used in that way, does it have to be fixed doesnt this . Two democratic members of congress are exactly asking exactly that question today. I think this is provocative and interesting. Its congressman ted Lieu And Congresswoman Kathleen Rice of New York. The two of them have just written to the Inspector General of the u. S. Justice department, asking for an investigation. They say, as former prosecutors we are concerned about reporting that suggests federal prosecutors had enough evidence to indict mr. Barrack well before 2021. It is one thing to have this actually quite scandalous reporting about the barrack, . Right there are serious implications about this case being delayed for more than a year. This is a serious case about another country having high placed agents inside and adjacent to the u. S. Government in a way that is affecting u. S. Policy, in a surreptitious way, right . Thats a serious National Security matter, in its own right, to delay the prosecution. To allow that scheme to continue for a year while you try not to offend anybody by bringing the case. But these members of congress are right to look beyond just this one case. There is a pattern here it keeps me up at night, if im honest. The New York Times reported earlier this year that trumps adjustment Justice Department blocked prosecutors from moving ahead with an investigation into giuliani. Trumps Justice Department overruled prosecutors in their own department to recommend a much lighter sentence for roger stone, who is convicted of witness tampering. The Justice Department dropped its case against michael flynn, despite flynn having pled guilty twice to lying to the fbi. And dont forget, we are just forgetting talking about this just this week. Five Trump Cabinet secretaries were referred to the Justice Department for potential prosecution, while trump was an office. And in all five cases, in the case of all five of those secretaries, the Justice Department said no, it seems fine, we will pass. That is just off the top of my head. Thats just a handful. Where the trump Justice Department appeared to intervene in cases involving trumps allies. Thats not even all the ones we know about, those are just the ones i can refine. How many cases were slow walked . Or delayed . Or quashed . This right . Are we going to learn about those . How many cases were shut down in not prosecuted at all . How many were slow down, like Barrack Derek who . To be honest though, there is one Silver Lining to the as yet unexplained delay in bringing the charges against derek. And it is actually illustrated by the chapter in the final chapter of the bond story. Michael milken paid all that money, he did serve time in federal prison. But then last year, 2020, he got a president ial pardon from donald trump. He pardoned Michael Milken for those massive, massive financial crimes decades ago. The White House actually put out a list of all the rich people and trump donors who had advocated for this pardon. It included Thomas Barrack. And on his way out the door, trump pardoned all his friends and supporters who had been charged with anything during his presidency. Roger stone, alex vendors on, steve bannon. The list goes on. But he only pardon people who were charged or convicted while he was president. Tom Barracks Case got delayed. Right . So hes out of luck. No president ial pardon coming for him. His indictment came after trump was out of his office, which itself is probably a scandal, if the Indictment Couldnt be brought while in office, because appointees of Trump Wouldnt let it happen. So he does not get out of jail free with a Pardon Card from trump. One of the open questions of the Trump Presidency is how many legal cases did not go forward to charges, just were not brought because they were squashed or delayed. I dont know if well ever get an answer. Kathleen rice and Ted Lieu are trying to make sure that there is at least an investigation. But the one Silver Lining, in terms of accountability, for any and all cases that were delayed, and yet still could be brought now is that now Trump Isnt around to pardon those folks. So today, they Thomas Barrack put up that much money, a record previously unprecedented bond, just in order to stay free until he is on trial. Joining us now is joyce vance, District Attorney for the you alabama, professor at university of alabama law school. Good to be with you. Good to be with you rachel. I have gotten very shy about The Word unprecedented but i was surprised when we started poking around that this might be what do you make of the size of the bond and the fact that it was released. I was surprised i was that surprised that barrack was barrack was released as released i think i would have released. As a prosecutor i wouldve gone to the mat, gone through the mat to just because he keep them in is such a Flight Risk custody. And thats one of. Thats the one of the bases federal two bases prosecutors that federal Custody Barrack is pretty much the Poster Child for a Flight Risk, dual citizenship, access to a lot of money and private travel, so hes really someone that it is difficult to believe that even a large sum of money could be sufficient to secure his presence. He 74. He undoubtedly doesnt want to spend ten years in prison, that this State Statute was could ultimately result in. Probably the sentence would be a lot smaller. But nonetheless the risk is considerable for him. Th eless the risk i conow, in terms of the potential delay of his case, we have not matched cnns reporting, they had this case a year ago and basically sat on this because trump appointees, they believe when allow it to go forward. But its very interesting reporting from cnn, the prospect of that is disturbing on lots of levels. What do you make of representatives Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice now asking the Justice Department Inspector General to investigate the public reporting and to investigate whether its part of a pardon . Theres obviously a lot of public facing actions by the trump Justice Department. That seemed to intervene or otherwise make bad things go away for people who are connected to the former president. Do you think Inspector General investigation is warranted here . Do you think there will be one . Doj can only be successful if the public has confidence that its conducting its work within integrity. So weve lived through, im sorry but im gonna use The Word you dont like, weve lived through in unprecedented four years in the Justice Department. And people have a lot of concerns. There are good reasons that if youre merrick garland, the Attorney General, you would support in Ig Investigation because it could do a lot to return confidence to doj simply by exposing the truth about the past four years. We cant really tell from this case. Its possible that it was slim down because prosecutors didnt want to run the risk that if they indicted the would be a pardon by the former president on the way out the door. Its equally possible this reporting from cnn that there was discouragement to bring the case from folks who are running to offices, maybe folks in washington. And its also possible this case had a lot of moving pieces, a lot of evidence perhaps, involving some foreign evidence that had to be obtained. And that can be difficult in terms consuming. So we dont know what went on here. And thats a problem for doj. Doj works best when people can have confidence in its work. So anything that promotes transparency plays well for this current Justice Department. Is it just the Inspector Generals own decision as to whether or not the investigation happens, or can the Attorney General and ends in the Inspector General has the ability to go away to go ahead and investigate the hes not entirely independent of working with the Attorney General, typically, season has the ability to review its reports before the released. But rachel, its interesting there a couple of different mechanisms here for accountability. Doj also has the Office Of Professional Responsibility which reviews whether prosecutors and Career Employees have done anything that might violate their ethical obligations. So its possible that if anyone inside doj, or outside for that matter, has information that something happened here to hunt down on these cases that was in hopper, they can report that To Opp our which can then conduct the investigation. There are a lot of investigations that can happen without the Attorney Generals blessing. That is an important Point And One that is often overlooked, joyce vances, attorney for it was good to have you here. Thank you so much for your time tonight. Thank you. We have a lot of news to get you on this Friday Night, stay with us. With us. Winner, seven years in a row. In fact, subaru has won most trusted brand for more consecutive years than any other brand. No Wonder Kelley blue book also picked subaru as their best overall brand. Once again. Its easy to love a brand you can trust. Its easy to love a subaru. For Bathroom Odors that linger try febreze small spaces. Just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. For 45 days. Baaam. Internet that keeps you ahead of the game. Thats cute, but my internet streams to my ride. Yeah, well mines always got my back. Okay chill, cuz mines so fast, No One can catch me. Speed . Well show you speed. Wow thats nothing. Because my internet gives me a flex 4k Streaming Box for free. Impressive thats cuz you all have the same internet. Xfinity xfi so powerful, it keeps oneupping itself. [narrator] this is joe. T . Combative Yelling he used to have bad breath. Now, he uses a Capful Of Therabreath, to keep his breath Combative Yelling smelling great all day long. Yesterday, the u. S. Justice this is steve. He used to have Gum Problems. Now, he uses therabreath, with clinicallyproven ingredients, and his Gum Problems have vanished. Magic Twinkling Audience Gasps this is kate. She always wanted her smile to shine. Now, she uses a Capful Of Therabreath gargles to give her the healthy, sparkly smile, sighs contentedly she always wanted. Crowd Cheers therabreath, its a better mouthwash. [narrator] at walmart, target and other fine stores. Department announced the indictment of nine people for illegally acting as agents for foreign power in the united states. Now the pleasant surprise here was that none of them appeared to have been highranking members of the trump administration, which is a nice change. What these nine were indicted for yesterday the was truly ugly. This is a note in chinese, obviously, that was stuck to the front door to a house in New Jersey after two of the defendants in this case reportedly, or allegedly, tried and failed to force the door open. They banged on the door, try to it, open then failed and they slapped this note on the door. I cant read chinese but the Indictment Step spells out that, quote, if youre willing to go back to the mainland and spent ten years in prison, your wife and children will be all right. Thats the end of this matter again, thats a translation from the indictment. The threat there is all but explicit. If you agreed to go back to china, your wife and kids will be okay. But if you dont agree, you get the point what prosecutors say that. Before the threatening note on the door, the same guy in New Jersey was targeted within more ominous threat. The victim here is described the indictment as John Doe, the indictment says, quote, the centerpiece of this criminal scheme was an April 2017 effort, directed by prc officials, to transport the father of John Does elderly father from the prc to the united states to convey a threat to John Doe that his family would be harmed if they did not return to china. Its like that scene in the godfather when that guy is about to testify the congressional hearing of Organized Crime and they bring his brother from the old country and he just sits there and looks there. The threat is visible and clear. You do what we want or your family back home gets it. Right . In this case, guy New Jersey, they brought his elderly dad, from china, to New Jersey, to let him know that this Guys Family in china was going to get it. Including his elderly relatives unless the guy in New Jersey did but they wanted, so that he could go to China And China can get their paws on him. This indictment was unsealed yesterday in the eastern district of New York, the Acting Attorney said, as alleged the Defendants Acting as agents of china, carried out an illegal and class clandestine campaign to harass and threaten u. S. Residence in order to force them to return to china. On registered, Roving Agents of a foreign power are not permitted to engage in secret surveillance of u. S. Residents on american soil, and their legal conduct will be met with the full force of the u. S. Law. Well see what happens here, it appears that of the nine people charged for this indictment yesterday, eight of them, i think, are chinese. One of them is an american Ex And Ypg Detective Sergeant who prosecutors say was working as a private investigator helping these chinese agents tracked down u. S. President s in the united states. People who the chinese government wanted to Menace And Threatened and try to force to go back to china. The Ex And Ypgs lawyers claims that he didnt know that he was working for the chinese government. The lawyer says that the cop thought he was working for a construction company. Okay, well see, who among us doesnt expect random Construction Companies ask us to knock down peoples doors and force them to go back to china . Thats a normal thing for them to do. The Ex Nypd Detective is under arrest today, as our other defendants, while the others are at large. But if you want to get to the really reared stuff on the same front, consider not something happening in u. S. Law Enforcement But Something happening over there. Consider these images, specifically. From the Associated Press yesterday. This is a Hong Kong Police Press Conference. Where theyre showing off the evidence that theyve got in a sedition case. And sedition is like a serious thing, its trying to overthrow a government. What is the evidence that theyre showing off for that . What were those things they were showing off at the Press Conference . Those look like Kids Books. Yes, there could spokes. Again, i dont speak or read chinese but i know enough from Kids Books to know that these are childrens books that appeared to be about sheep. Yesterday, Hong Kong Police arrested five members of the general association of Hong Kong Speech therapists because of the sheep books. Quote, the association published three childrens books that a senior superintendent of the national Security Department of the police said they had seditious intent. Meaning, the childrens books are seditious. The books feature stories that revolver round a village of sheep that has to deal with wolves from a different village. The senior superintendent at the national Security Department of the Hong Kong Police specifically, at this Press Conference, Singled Out One Sublot in one of the She Books that seems particularly seditious to him. Quote, there was a story about wolves who are cruel and try to occupy the area where the sheep live and try to kill them. Yes yes children stories about wolves and sheep are often about the wolves wanting to eat the sheep. Same with adult stories about wolves and sheep same with nature documentaries about wolves and she. Right . The wolves wanted the chief, thats the point about wolves and she. Buts but in Hong Kong yesterday, was that the fact that the wolves wanted to kill the sheep in the childrens book, that was a sign of a seditious plot to overthrow the government. And so in Hong Kong yesterday, which not that long ago was a free city, not only are the Sheep Related Kids books by the Speech Therapist are cause for seditious charges against a Speech Therapist. They handcuffed and no hood in the Speech Therapist office to seize more evidence. They seized would appear to be more Kids Books with the help of the hooded handcuffed suspect who they walked in front of the building. The ap reports police also froze assets of the speech there disassociation, again, because the books are about cheap. At the same time, they were showing off their contraband seized Kids Books about sheep and wolves. Literally, walking people through the flood of the She Books to show that they were sedition against the government. At the same time there were doing that, yesterday, a hong Kong Court was denied bail for a number of prominent Hong Kong journalists. This is a story that we covered last month which had a huge response from our viewers. You will remember the pictures from that coverage, these are pictures of the final night that Hong Kong had one last independent prodemocracy newspaper. The newspapers called Apple Daily. They have their offices raided by hundreds of Hong Kong Police officers. Police officers took their computers and their hard drives, and the documents they had, the newspaper had their assets frozen so they could no longer pay for operations or their employees. And after all of that, as their executives and journalists were getting arrested One By one, they shut themselves down. As the staff of Apple Daily prepared the last edition of that newspaper, last month, Hong Kong residents gathered outside in the rain, they turned on the flashlights on their cellphones, the journalists inside the offices would see that they were out there, they would know that they were there for support. The journalists turned on the lights on their phones to to signal back to the people outside in the rain. On a normal day, April Dailies Plant Run was 80,000. For that final issue the printed 1 Million copies. People lined up for hours to get one. 1 milland they were sold out eny by atm. That was last month, that was the last day. Apple daily does not exist anymore. President biden put out a statement in support when the shutdown. Its that in part, quote, independent media play in an invaluable role in resilient and prosperous societies. Journalists are Truth Tellers who hold leaders accountable and keep information flowing freely, that is needed now more than ever in Hong Kong, and in places Around The World where democracy is under threat. He said quote, beijing must stop targeting the independent press and release the journalists and Media Executives that have been detained. The act of journalism, he said, is not a crime. That was last month from President Biden, when the last independent newspaper in Hong Kong, apple, dailey was shut down. I just want to show you from some of those pictures from the night that the were preparing their final edition of that last free newspaper. There is a guy and a stripe shirt, Black And White striped shirt, in a lot of those photos. It kind of seems like he was at the center of the action. A lot of the photos that were taking that day. Thats because he was the editor in chief of Apple Daily. So these photos show him leading his staff in finaling the headed on the last printed addition, that. Night again, that was last month when they published their last edition. This week, he was arrested. Hes even though the last independent newspaper in Hong Kong is shut down and has been so for a month, theyre still arresting the journalist who work there. While they were showing off the Kids Book about sheep for and charging the Speech Therapists with sedition, a hong Kong Court simultaneously was refusing bail for the editor in chief of the now defunct Apple Daily. He, and another editor and to editorial writers for that paper were all put in Jail Yesterday in the day before. The court revoked and refused their bail, and then the court adjourned until at least september 30th. So those four journalists are looking at least two plus months of jail until their cases even get heard. Its all for the crime of being journalists. The u. S. State department put out a statement in response saying, quote, we strongly condemn the arrests of Apple Dailys former Editor And Chief and others, the u. S. Is deeply concerned by the Hong Kongs authorities selective use of the national Security Law to target journalists and independent media organizations. The charges of conspiring to collude with foreign forces to endanger National Security appear to be politically motivated. The united states is concerned by increased efforts by beijing and Hong Kong authorities to wield the national Security Law as a tool to suppress independent media, silence dissenting views, and stifle freedom of speech. We call on the authorities to stop targeting the independent. Press efforts to stifle Media Freedom in the free flow of information not only undermine Hong Kongs democratic institutions, but also hurts Hong Kongs viability as an international business hub. And that international his Bus Hub Point sticks out a little bit but its important in terms of how the biden administration is approaching. This last week, the administration put out a warning to u. S. Companies advising american companies that if they are doing business in Hong Kong, the political climate is changing their to make it, basically, unsafe or commerce. And also unsafe, period. That warning went out from the biden administration to u. S. Businesses last week. China retaliated against that Warning Today by putting sanctions, chinese sanctions, on individual americans. Specifically, they sanctioned wait one . They sanctioned Wilbur Ross . I think maybe they dont know Wilbur Ross is a commerce is not calmer sick or tearing more. He was Commerce Accra Terry under trump but hes been gone since trump maybe Hong Kong Authorities Cannot get good news anymore. They dont get Equality Journalism anymore. So they dont know that Wilbur Ross has been gone since january. Sure . Why not . Target your sanctions at him. With statements like weve seen from President Biden and Secretary Of State tony blinken, the u. S. State is obviously no longer calling the press the enemy of the people. Which is a nice change. The u. S. Government is now trying to both insist on the rights of journalists Around The World, and to a certain extent, theyre trying to model that behavior within the u. S. Government itself. The Justice Department, just this, week putting out new rules that limit the ability of u. S. Law enforcement to go after journalists and their communications and their sources. That new rule put out by Attorney General Marlin Garland this week. But if we are once again trying to lead the world and standing up for those kinds of freedoms, its not working. We but else can we do . Hong Kong Democracy activists are now asking for the united states to once again offer them asylum in the united states, to offer Hong Kong democracy Activists Asylum in the united states. Which is not an unprecedented thing. The u. S. Did that after the ten against square massacre. Yes we now democracy activists and the Free Press, And Civil Society and Hong Kong as being hunted and picked off One By one, could the u. S. Offer asylum the way that we have in the past . Who would be against that here right . But if we are going to lead and the biden administration seems like they want to end the need to, what else can they do . What else should they do . What kind of fight should they expect to have over those measures . We have got more head, stay with. Us with us liberty Mutuals Coverage Customizer tool . Sorry . Well, since you asked. It finds discounts and policy recommendations, so you only pay for what you need. Limu, youre an animal whos got the Bird Legs now . 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Joining us now is ben rhodes, call one eight hundred, Eight Million he was deputy national Security Adviser to president obama. Hes also the author, most recently, of after the fall, being american in the World Weve made. Its a look at the world tilting away from democracy, and the people fighting against that, and a Haunting Question of what the u. S. Can do to try and save our democracy here at home but to help shored up everywhere it is in danger. Then, its nice of you being here on a Friday Night, thank you for making time. So im a little haunted by your book, we might remember when we first i am owed it to you that i was troubled by the dynamics that you talk about. Following this Hong Kong story, im so moved by the efforts of the Free Press and the efforts of the civil society there to try to stand up against what really feels like a line of tanks, it really feels like a bulldozer that is going through them, without any help. And i wanted to get your take on how bad things seem in Hong Kong, and what the biden administration is trying to help. Its the worstcase scenario rachel. For the book i talk to people involved in the protests. They describe this whole society approach, that you alluded to, in which the Chinese Communist Party has taken over the media. Theyve taken over the curriculum in schools. Theyve created incentives where, if you want to get ahead, no, you have to be silent about certain political matters. The Protest Movement was a reaction against that. People used to tell me things like, the only independent source of information that we have his Apple Daily. What they have done is extinguish the embers of democracy in Hong Kong. Theyve jailed the political opposition, and frankly a lot of people have left for the uk. I think the biden administration, you can provide asylum and we should, to anyone who lives in persecution. You can sanction chinese officials, you can review Hong Kong status. Hong kong has different rules in terms of financial transactions, in terms of mainland china, because it was a free society, it clearly isnt any more. But rachel, the key thing that i say is that we have to acknowledge, as americans, that we have not prioritized Human Rights in our relationship with china. We have prioritized the Chinese Communist Party has taken that signal. And when i say we i dont just mean the u. S. Government. I mean u. S. Companies that have swallowed some pretty difficult things in or to be in that chinese market. The u. S. Entertainment industry, you had some John Cena apologizing to the chinese government, he had said something about taiwan. You have the nba games pulled off of cctv, the general Manager Swede supported. In our diplomacy, our economic policy, is going to be our values. Because thus far, if were honest, we have gone to the mat with china, on how many soybeans they buy more than we have on. And then if the biden administration wanted to be brave and bold on this issue. If they wanted to be back up the farsighted and eloquent statement that they have put out in response to domestically do you think they would have a fight on their hands, do you think that would be a partisan split or it would become some sort of one of these impasses in washington, or is this is sort of thing where, for example, if they wanted to offer Dissidents Asylum in this country, from Hong Kong, do you think that congress could actually do it . Well look, being tough on china, standing up to china, whatever you want to call it, is the one bipartisan issue in our politics. I think its a good test of the republican Partys Rhetoric on that. They are usually against political asylum. But i also think, rachel, theres a difference between a kind of militarized Cold War with china, and the values based competition with what you described happening in Hong Kong. Because the most important thing that we have to do but thats what i heard from a lot of people in Hong Kong and Around The World. And America Needs To Set its much harder for us to have the credibility to sustain an effort in which we are sustaining those values abroad, then in a place like Hong Kong. So i think biden needs to connect what it is trying to do to extend i think another thing that theyre doing is multilateralism this, so its not just the united states but its all likeminded democracies speaking out against this. One of the things i found out again though, and i would barack obama who i was traveling with, should not be with the dalai lama. That is something that the chinese have been doing, the Chinese Communist Party, not the communists. Co for their view of how the rest of the world should stay out of their affairs. And the point is that in the united states, for example, through our open Door Asylum Policy for Hong Kong refugees. Through our multilateral diplomacy, in raising this issue, and through our policies, we need to be similarly relentless in our defensive democracy, not for one month for one year, not just when the camera is on these issues, but for the long haul. Because what we are seeing in Hong Kong is a free society, two years ago you could go there and feel those characteristics, you would not feel that they are today. It is not safe for people to express themselves today. Young people told me that there is such total control with technology, with the surveillance that they have, they are trying to control what you can think as well as say. This is the kind of future that we have to push back on. And that has to be a multi faceted effort, across government, with allies and has to be sustained for years to come. Ben rhodes, former deputy national Security Adviser to obama, then thank you, this is exactly what i wanted to hear tonight. Well be right back applebees and a movie, now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. [relaxed summer themed music playing] summer is a state of mind, you can visit anytime. Savor your summer with lincoln. When i was young nonononono please please no. I never needed anyone. Front desk. Yes, hello. Im so. Please hold. Those days are done. I got you. All by yourself. Go with us and find millions of flexible options. All in our app. Expedia. It matters who you travel with. Expedia. For Bathroom Odors that linger try febreze small spaces. Just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. For 45 days. Do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep . Qunol Sleep Formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. The brand i trust is qunol. It takes a certain kind of person to change the world. My greatgreatgrandmother, my greatgrandfather, greatgreatgrandfather was that kind of person. He looked after his community. She built an empire. He protected this nation. They lived their lives in extraordinary ways. With ancestry, i learned the story of peter vaughters. William lacy. Madam c. J. Walker. They are the heroes in my family. Who are the heroes in yours . Its just in tonight, from the desk of president joe biden. Quote, by the authority vested me as president i hereby determined that it is important to furnish assistance in the amount of 100 Million from the u. S. Emergency Refugee And Migration assistant fund, including four applicants of special visas. That sounds like a lot of government speak, but it means in Plain English that President Biden authorized 100 Million to help evacuating afghan translators during our 20year war there, the people that helped us. They will be at that last night, the Wall Street journal reported that as many as 35,000 will be housed at Military Bases in kuwait and qatar. Those preparations are underway, and secretary Blinken Will Travel To Kuwait next week, to deal with that matter, among other things. Again, none of the evacuation flights have left, but it does seem like things are starting to fall into place. Watch this space. Space space the lexus golden opportunity sales event. Get 0. 9 Apr Financing on the all 2021 Lexus Hybrid models. Experience amazing. Show me the olympics. Get 0. 9 Apr Financing on the all 2021 Lexus Hybrid models. [ Buglers Dream playing ] i forgot to note this time last night that it was friday eve, so i hope it hasnt taken you by surprise. Happy friday, ill see you again on monday night, now its time for the last word with the great lawrence odonnell,. Its great to see you. Good Evening Rachel and you know there is nothing i would like better than a good long, Friday Night chat with you. But, as i understand it, correct me if im, wrong i believe your weekend officially begins when i say goodnight rachel. 47, 49, good night rachel