All Episodes
Jan. 9, 2025 - The Culture War - Tim Pool
18:52
Democrats FAILED California, DEI Policy Led To Historic Wildfire, Newsom Faces Calls For RESIGNATION

BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW - https://castbrew.com/ Become A Member And Protect Our Work at http://www.timcast.com Host: Tim Pool @Timcast (everywhere) My Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/timcastnews Podcast Channel - https://www.youtube.com/TimcastIRL

Participants
Main voices
t
tim pool
16:27
Appearances
Clips
j
joe rogan
00:53
| Copy link to current segment

Speaker Time Text
joe rogan
I talked to a fireman once.
This is one of the reasons it freaked me out.
And he was telling me, he goes, dude, one day, he goes, it's just going to be the right wind, and fire's going to start in the right place, and it's going to burn through L.A. all the way to the ocean, and there's not a fucking thing we can do about it.
I go, really?
He goes, yeah, we just get lucky.
He goes, we get lucky with the wind.
He goes, but if the wind hits the wrong way, it's just going to burn straight through L.A. and there's not going to be a thing we can do about it.
Because these fires are so big, dude.
They're talking about like thousands of acres that are burning simultaneously with like 40 mile an hour winds.
And the wind's just blowing embers through the air and those embers are landing on roofs and those houses are going up and they're landing on bushes and those bushes are going up and everything's dry.
And once it happens, it happens in a way where it's so spread out.
That there's nothing they can do.
There's nothing they can do.
unidentified
Yeah, you just have to evacuate, right?
joe rogan
Nothing.
Nothing they can do.
tim pool
As I'm sure most of you are aware, L.A. County is currently dealing with some of the worst wildfires we have ever seen in this country.
The Santa Ana winds, sometimes upwards of 100 miles an hour, low humidity and dry vegetation has resulted in this massive disaster.
We've seen around 100,000 plus evacuations and five reported deaths, and it's expected to get worse.
unidentified
We're in bumper to bumper traffic right now as hundreds of people try to get out.
You can see flames here on both sides of the road with very little visibility.
Many abandoning their vehicles to flee on foot.
Policemen started telling everybody, get out of your car, leave your car if you want to live.
A bulldozer brought in to clear a path, pushing dozens of cars out of the way.
Smoke from the growing fire darkening the skies.
This man breaking down, desperate to reach his dogs.
joe rogan
I've been trying to get them a house for five hours.
unidentified
Later, reunited, his house thankfully saved.
Overnight, a high school up in flames.
The fire hitting some of California's most famed areas, home to iconic houses and sites and many celebrities.
Chris Pratt posting overnight, please send prayers and strength to those affected.
James Woods posting this video of the fires approaching his home.
Beloved Dr. Steve Guttenberg among those stepping up to help his neighbors.
When things like this occur, you really realize how vulnerable you are and how important community is.
Scenes of unbelievable devastation and loss as the relentless winds fueling these fires show no signs of letting up.
tim pool
While certainly environmental factors are playing a huge role, we cannot ignore the human factor.
Donald Trump recently called for the resignation of Gavin Newsom, the governor, and many people are criticizing local leadership, including the mayor, Karen Bass, because they have failed tremendously to mitigate these issues and prepare for this disaster.
unidentified
What in the world?
The firemen don't have hoses, so they're like literally using purses, women's handbags, filling up women's handbags to put out fires.
Look at this.
What in the world?
LAFD Fire Department using women's handbags to put out fires.
tim pool
Right now, the primary fires raging through LA are the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, the Hearst Fire, and the newly ignited Woodley Fire.
This fire, which began near the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, has grown to over 15,800 acres.
It has destroyed more than 1,000 structures, including homes and landmarks, and has forced at least 30,000 people to evacuate.
The fire spread rapidly due to the hurricane-strength winds, which have not abated, making containment efforts challenging.
Near Pasadena, the Eaton fire has been particularly deadly, with at least two fatalities reported.
By Wednesday morning, it consumed over 10,600 acres, doubling in size overnight due to strong winds.
This fire has led to the evacuation of over 52,000 residents and has damaged or destroyed numerous structures, including a McDonald's and the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.
Located in the San Fernando Valley, we have the Hearst Fire.
This fire has also seen significant growth.
Although specific acreage affected by January 8th was not detailed, it contributed to the overall strain on firefighting resources.
And then we have the Woodley Fire, a newer blaze in the Sepulveda Basin area.
The fire has grown to 75 acres by Wednesday, adding to the emergency response.
Late last night, it spread to the Hollywood Hills.
As I already stated, at least five people so far are reported as having lost their lives and over 100,000 have evacuated.
But there is still some shocking footage indicating it's going to get worse.
In one video from the Weather Channel, which I don't think you want to see, it may be depicting This is an unmitigated disaster.
Right now.
Over 1,100 structures and counting have been destroyed across L.A. County, including homes, businesses, and cultural landmarks.
The Palisades Fire alone has seen significant devastation in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of L.A., affecting even the grounds of the Getty Villa Museum.
But the structures there remain safe.
More than 1.5 million customers were without power due to the fires and the preventative measures like power shutoffs by Southern California Edison.
This has compounded the crisis, affecting communications and emergency responses.
Right now, fire departments across California have been called in to support local crews.
7,500 firefighters are battling the blazes.
However, the resources are stretched thin, with some firefighters working up to 48 hour shifts.
The inability to use aircraft due to high winds has further complicated containment.
Now the question is, is this just environmental catastrophe?
As we heard from Joe Rogan, was it just, you know, sooner or later, these winds are going to ignite the entirety of L.A. Or could this have been prevented?
I raise you, my friends, that this could have been mitigated.
But the political ideology and the unwillingness to do what needed to be done is resulting in this fire being substantially worse than it should have been.
Maybe it shouldn't have been at all.
While we are hearing that they don't have enough firefighters or resources, We can cite this story.
LA County fired 113 LA firefighters because they would not comply with the vaccine mandate.
Or maybe it's because LA Mayor Karen Bass cut $17.6 million of fire department funding and gave $28 million to illegal immigrants.
Or how about it's because LA gave surplus supplies to Ukraine.
But don't worry, folks.
California may be burning, but rest assured, we may be factually incorrect, but we are morally right.
I think that's what AOC said, right?
Because California prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion over substance.
The L.A. mayor prioritized diversity in hiring firefighters.
They were concerned too many of their firefighters were white.
Well, I got news for you, California.
The majority of people in this country are white.
It's not a problem if you're hiring people and some of them happen to be white.
Perhaps now you really would be doing better off if you just hired the people who want to do the job.
Apparently, she can't even read a teleprompter properly.
But hey, you get what you vote for.
Now, all jokes aside, diversity.
Equity and inclusion.
These policies that prioritize an ideology over merit have real-world consequences.
From NPR, June 5th, 2023. Firefighting is mostly white and male.
A California program aims to change that.
Fire departments have tried to diversify their ranks for years with only modest success.
The profession remains overwhelmingly white and male.
One California training program is trying to change that.
As Matt Walsh accurately pointed out, quote, Los Angeles deliberately set out to exclude white men from becoming firefighters and now they don't have enough firefighters to prevent their city from burning to the ground.
DEI is a cancer that destroys everything it touches.
DEI forgets that men are the exact people who actually want to and are capable of doing the job.
Well, bless your hearts, wokeness.
This is a contributing factor to why we are struggling.
As they have explicitly stated now, they do not have enough firefighters to deal with this problem.
But just when you thought the lack of manpower was the real problem, don't worry.
There isn't any water.
So maybe the woke can say, don't look at us.
We don't have any water anyway.
In areas like Pacific Palisades, fire hydrants are running dry, severely hampering firefighting capabilities.
The L.A. Department of Water and Power noted a demand four times normal, leading to system pressure issues.
But why is there no water?
Now, Donald Trump has warned.
That they could be diverting water from Northern California into the South.
And there's this issue with the Delta smelt, this little tiny fish.
And because of the smelt, they won't do it.
Now, it's a bit more complicated than that.
There's water being allocated to farming.
There's concerns that if they reduce the water pressure into the Delta, ocean water will flood in, turning what is freshwater into brackish or saltwater.
But that's not even the issue.
Certainly, it plays a role, but it's worse than that.
The lack of new water storage projects, such as reservoirs, have been highlighted by critics.
This impacts firefighting capabilities, especially when fire hydrants run dry during crises.
Democrats have been having water policy debates in California for years.
Bernie and the left jumped immediately on the climate change narrative wagon.
And as Anna Kasparian points out, of all people, Democrats are in charge.
There's no passing the buck anymore.
They had a chance to deal with this.
They didn't fill their reservoirs.
They did not hire enough firefighters.
They didn't figure out how to get water into Southern California.
This is an issue of leadership.
But of course, many on the left are blaming climate change.
Bernie and other leftists have jumped immediately on the climate change narrative wagon.
it's not climate change.
Maybe his mind goes right to Trump because six years ago, Trump called out California leadership for their failure to protect Californians from fires, saying, quote, We're giving billions and billions of dollars for forest fires in California.
There's no reason for those fires to be like they are.
Instead of cleaning it up, they don't touch them.
They leave them.
And we ended up with these massive fires that we are paying for.
California ought to get their act together and clean up their forests and manage their forests because it's disgraceful.
And how can we forget the photo of Donald Trump and Gavin Newsom standing in a forest as Trump criticized the state and said, you've got to manage this better.
It was preventable, but the leadership is just doing nothing.
The reality is, Democratic policies which simply prioritize environmental conservation over aggressive forest management practices, like controlled burns, have contributed to a buildup of flammable material.
Critics like Trump have vocalized his view, accusing Newsom of focusing on protecting species like the Delta smelt over human safety, which they argue diverts necessary water resources and limits land management practices.
So as we all sit here, terrified that loved ones may lose their lives, That friends, family, and even some of you watching may have lost your homes.
They're blaming climate change.
They're refusing to accept responsibility for the people they vote for and the policies they enact and the foundations that they fund.
In 2007. Under Newsom's leadership?
There's been insufficient action on forest management.
Reports and investigations, notably one by Capital Public Radio in 2021, have pointed out that Newsom significantly overstated the amount of fire prevention work done, claiming 90,000 acres treated when the actual figure was around 11,399.
This discrepancy suggests that the state might not have been as proactive as claimed in reducing wildfire fuel through prescribed burns or clearing underbrush, which could exacerbate fire conditions.
It's clear the leadership in the state is not doing enough to mitigate these problems.
They are not taking our infrastructure seriously.
They are putting ideology above merit.
They're not hiring the right people.
And then when we ask, hey, can you deal with this?
They have lied about the extent of their mitigation practices.
Now, while we don't currently know exactly what is causing these fires, it may just be that fires start.
Some people have suggested that power lines are sparking.
Someone may have flicked a cigarette.
We don't know for sure.
We're seeing crazy videos where gas lines are still on, and you can see a gas line with fire bursting from it.
Some suggest this may be the result of homelessness.
Homeless individuals starting fires to keep themselves warm.
Well, it is a very common practice, and often these fires can grow out of control.
According to various reports, fires related to homelessness have significantly increased in number.
In some areas of L.A., like downtown, it's claimed that 80% of fires are associated with homeless encampments, though these stats can vary and are often based on fire department data or media reports rather than comprehensive studies.
There's a contentious debate regarding the role of the homeless in wildfires.
Some political figures and public sentiment on the platform like X have called for stricter enforcement against encampments in high-risk fire zones or for relocating them to safer areas.
However, this is complicated by legal rulings like Martin v.
City of Boise, which limits the ability of cities to criminalize homelessness without providing alternative shelter.
In response to fires linked to encampments, There have been calls for better outreach, education on fire safety among the homeless population, and more proactive measures by the city to clear encampments in high-risk areas.
However, implementing these measures while respecting the rights and needs of the homeless population remain a complex issue.
And that's the thing about LA. They call it the homeless capital of the developed world.
When you see video after video of homeless people starting fires, one has to wonder, are the problems of California exacerbated by their inability to care for and adequately deal with a massive and escalating homeless crisis?
How is it that they spend over a billion dollars every year and they can't solve this problem?
Now, homelessness in L.A., it's exacerbated by high living costs, mental health issues and inadequate housing solutions.
It's playing into a narrative around wildfires because many of these people do start fires and it happens in cities all across the country.
It underscores the need for comprehensive solutions to homelessness that could also mitigate fire risk.
Now you may be saying to yourself, I don't buy it, Tim.
You're wrong.
I'm not going to blame Democrat leadership.
You're grifting.
You're making it a partisan issue.
Yeah?
Well, how about this?
Insurance companies have pulled out.
Many of the homes in the Palisades has their fire coverage removed only months to even a few weeks ago.
In one report from Fox News, a woman said a couple of weeks ago, our fire insurance was pulled from our home.
How is that possible?
Well, it's actually quite simple.
It's not a conspiracy.
The insurance companies didn't go to the government or go to their shareholders and say, there's going to be a wildfire.
No space lasers ignited the brush.
Well, I mean, maybe, but probably not.
No, the reality is, as Joe Rogan pointed out as we opened this segment, firefighters have been warning that these fires are going to happen.
The insurance companies did a cost-benefit analysis.
And in order to avoid financial ruin, they said we can no longer provide coverage in these areas.
It wasn't so much that there was a grand conspiracy.
No, it was just that to anyone paying attention, this was inevitable.
So tell me again, you don't believe me when I show you all the facts and say this was a crisis brought on by the state.
Don't get me wrong.
Wildfires happen.
It's a part of nature.
But we as human beings have the ability to, I don't know, rake, underbrush, control burns.
We can do all of these things.
We can hire the firefighters.
We can allocate the resources, but they did not do it.
So it became simple.
The insurance companies looked at the math and said, the state is inadequately prepared.
The fires will rage and will wipe out all of these homes, and we can't afford to pay this out.
And so they didn't.
And that's it right there.
That's all the proof you needed.
They knew it was coming.
Now, hold on.
Let's ask a question again.
You may be saying, well, maybe it's climate change, right?
The insurance companies were looking at the escalation of strange weather patterns.
And so they ultimately decided we can't insure anymore because of climate change.
Well, they provided coverage to these homes in areas with wildfires.
They provide coverage to homes in areas prone to hurricanes.
They usually just raise the rates.
So what happened this time that they didn't just, I don't know, raise the rates?
Could it have been Democrat policies requiring high-risk insurance with caps on premiums?
Could it have been that they know the state was mismanaging this and they couldn't financially handle it?
So there it is, my friends.
That's at least the argument, and I think it's plain as day.
This is why Donald Trump calls for the resignation of Gavin Newsom.
This is why what we are seeing in California was avoidable.
I hope you all learn from this.
We want people to be safe, and I hope they are.
But for now, the only thing we can do is pray, keep people in our thoughts, hope we can donate, we can volunteer where need be.
Just hopefully the death toll remains minimal.
And we figured this one out.
But I gotta tell you, so long as our leadership functions this way, expect more disasters like this.
I'll wrap it up there.
Smash the like button.
Share the show with everyone you know.
Become a member over at TimCast.com to support our work.
Thanks for hanging out.
Stay tuned.
We're back tomorrow at 4 p.m.
And of course, you can always hang out at YouTube.com slash TimCast IRL Monday through Friday, 8 p.m.
Export Selection