Timcast IRL · July 23, 2021 · 2h 0m
Timcast IRL #336 - COVID Lockdowns Are Returning Due To Delta Breakthrough Cases w/Kenny Xu
Episode Recap
Timcast IRL episode 336, recorded on July 23, 2021, featured Tim Pool and co-hosts discussing the potential return of COVID-19 lockdowns due to Delta variant breakthrough cases. The conversation opened with technical difficulties during the YouTube stream setup before diving into news about LA restaurants being forced to close after fully vaccinated staff contracted COVID. Mitch McConnell was cited as suggesting lockdowns could return due to insufficient vaccination rates. The hosts also addressed border issues, noting viral videos of illegal immigrants being escorted through the border while COVID cases surge 900% among that population. The main guest segment featured Kenny Xu, author of An Inconvenient Minority, who discussed the attack on Asian American excellence and the importance of meritocracy. The conversation explored how identity politics and victim categorization have become socially advantageous, with references to Jordan Peterson's Pareto distribution theory and Abigail Schreier's work on LGBTQ+ identification trends among Gen Z. Tim announced upcoming exclusive member content including a Dungeons & Dragons political campaign show on TimCast.com.
TL;DR
- →LA restaurants forced to close after fully vaccinated staff contracted COVID-19 breakthrough cases
- →Mitch McConnell suggested COVID lockdowns could return due to unvaccinated population
- →Viral videos showed illegal immigrants being escorted through the border amid 900% surge in COVID cases among that population
- →Kenny Xu discussed his book An Inconvenient Minority and the attack on Asian American excellence and meritocracy
- →Discussion of critical race theory with Biden administration walking back anti-whiteness training
- →Tim announced new Dungeons & Dragons political campaign content coming to TimCast.com member exclusives
Key Moments
- 0:00Opening and Technical DifficultiesTim discussed YouTube stream creation issues and introduced the show's topics
- 15:00COVID Lockdown ConcernsDiscussion of LA restaurant closures and breakthrough cases among vaccinated staff
- 30:00Border and ImmigrationAnalysis of border policies and COVID surge among illegal immigrants
- 45:00Guest Introduction: Kenny XuTim introduced guest and discussed his book on Asian American excellence
- 90:00Meritocracy and Identity PoliticsDeep dive into meritocracy, Pareto distribution, and social trends in identification
Notable Quotes
“It's a crazy, crazy time out there, man. We're hearing some restaurants in LA are being forced to shut down because some of their fully vaccinated staff members have contracted breakthrough cases of COVID.”
— Tim Pool · opening segment on COVID lockdowns
“If they're saying that lockdowns are looming because of the rise in these cases, and then they're letting in tons of people who have COVID, either they're really, really dumb or intentionally bringing about COVID lockdowns.”
— Tim Pool · border and COVID policy criticism
“I am the author of the new book, An Inconvenient Minority, The Attack on Asian American Excellence and the Fight for Meritocracy. I talk about this value of meritocracy that our culture is increasingly losing because it increasingly wants to treat people on the basis of their race and not on the basis of their content of their character.”
— Kenny Xu · guest introduction and book discussion
“What do we lose when we penalize Asian American success or just American success? Because it's not just about Asian Americans. It's about anybody who works hard, studies hard, tries to be successful.”
— Kenny Xu · meritocracy discussion
“When you become a member there, you get access to exclusive member episodes of the TimCast IRL podcast, which go up every night, Monday through Thursday, around 11 p.m.”
— Ian Crossland · membership promotion