THESE MUSICAL >> Tucker: GOOD
EVENING AND WELCOME TO
"TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT."
30 YEARS AGO IS PRETTY FAST.
30 YEARS AGO WAS THE FALL OF
1989 BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY.
AT THE TIME, IF YOU CAN
REMEMBER, AMERICA SEEMED
UNBEATABLE.
OUR CHIEF RIVAL, THE
SOVIET UNION, HAD JUST
COLLAPSED.
OUR ECONOMY AND ABILITY STRENGTH
DWARF THOSE OF EVERY NATION ON
THE PLANET.
AMERICA AND 1989 WAS THE
UNCONTESTED LEADER OF THE WORLD.
FREE AND OTHERWISE.
ABOUT THREE DECADES LATER, THAT
ADVANTAGE HAS EVAPORATED
COMPLETELY.
INSTEAD OF EXPANDING AND
SOLIDIFYING POWER, WE HAVE
WASTED IT AND AS A RESULT WE ARE
NOW IN THE RACE OF OUR LIVES
AGAINST THE COUNTRY THAT IN 1989
WAS SO POOR THAT MANY OF ITS
PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD MEAT OR
ELECTRICITY.
CHINA.
AT THIS RATE, CHINA WILL BEAT
US.
SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW DID
AMERICA FALL SO FAR SO FAST?
THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE.
BAD LEADERSHIP.
THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFITED THE
MOST FROM THIS COUNTRY CARED
ABOUT IT THE LEAST.
THEY WERE ALSO THE QUICKEST TO
SELL IT OUT TO FOREIGN POWERS
FOR PROFIT.
THAT'S OBVIOUS NOW THANKS TO
PEOPLE LIKE LeBRON JAMES.
HE OF COURSE IS ONE OF THE MOST
FAMOUS ATHLETES IN HISTORY BUT
HE STARTED OFF AT THE VERY
BOTTOM.
HE WAS BORN TO AN IMPOVERISHED
16-YEAR-OLD MOTHER IN AKRON,
OHIO.
YOU NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE.
YET, THANKS TO HARD WORK AND
REMARKABLE SKILL, JAMES'
ENDORSEMENT INCOME ALONE NOW
EXCEEDS $15 MILLION PER YEAR.
IF THERE'S ANYONE WHOSE LIFE IS
A TRIBUTE TO AMERICA, TO ITS
DECENCY, TO ITS ENDLESS
OPPORTUNITY, IT IS
LeBRON JAMES.
IN RETURN, HE SHOWERS AMERICA
WITH CONTEMPT.
JUST YESTERDAY HE WAS ASKED TO
COMMENT ON THE NBA EXECUTIVE WHO
ISSUED A ONE LINE STATEMENT IN
SUPPORT OF DEMOCRACY IN
HONG KONG.
HERE'S HOW HE RESPONDED.
SPEAK I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A
WORD OR SENTENCE FEUD WITH
DARRELL BUT I BELIEVE HE WASN'T
EDUCATED ON THE SITUATION AT
HAND AND HE SPOKE AND SO MANY
PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN HARMED,
NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY, BUT
PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY,
SPIRITUALLY, SO JUST BE CAREFUL
WHAT WE TWEET AND WHAT WE SAY
AND WHAT WE DO, EVEN THOUGH,
YES, WE DO HAVE FREEDOM OF
SPEECH, BUT THERE CAN BE A LOT
OF NEGATIVE THAT COMES WITH THAT
TOO.
>> Tucker: RIGHT.
SO FREEDOM IS SPEECH IS JUST
FINE AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DO
ANYTHING CRAZY WITH IT LIKE, I
DON'T KNOW, OBLIQUELY CRITICIZE
THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.
NO.
THAT'S OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
IT MIGHT HARM PEOPLE
SPIRITUALLY.
IT ALSO MIGHT POTENTIALLY MAKE
LeBRON JAMES SLIGHTLY LESS
RICH AND OF COURSE THAT'S THE
REAL PROBLEM.
DO YOU THINK WE ARE BEING
UNFAIR?
THINK THAT'S AN UNFAIR
INTERPRETATION OF WHAT YOU
DECIDE?
WELL ACCORDING TO ESPN,
LeBRON JAMES HAS BEEN ADAMANT
IN HIS DEFENSE OF CHINESE
FASCISM.
EVEN OFF-CAMERA.
WATCH THIS.
>> ADAM SILVER GOT UP AND
ADDRESS THE PLAYERS AND
LeBRON JAMES, GOT UP AND SPOKE
AND SAID WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?
IT DARRELL MAURICE THESE
STATEMENTS, YOU KNOW THAT IF A
PLAYER MADE THE SAME STATEMENTS
AND CAUSED MORE RAMIFICATIONS FR
THE LEAGUE, THERE WOULD BE SOME
SORT OF LEGAL COURSE OR
REPERCUSSIONS BUT THE PLAYERS
WOULD HAVE TO PAY.
POTENTIALLY THIS TWEET COULD
COST THE NBA HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WHICH COULD
COME OUT OF THE PLAYERS POCKETS.
THAT'S THE DOUBLE STANDARD THAT
WAS BEING ADDRESSED IN THAT
MEETING.
YOU AND IN IN OTHER WORDS, ANY
AMERICAN WHO QUESTIONS CHINA
OUGHT TO BE PUNISHED.
THAT'S LeBRON JAMES' VIEW.
THAT'S WHAT HE'S DEMANDING, IN
FACT.
THE CHINESE BROOM MUST NOT BE
CRITICIZED AND YET, THERE IS A
VERY DIFFERENT STANDARD THAT
CHANGED THE MIKE JAMES HOLDS FOR
HIS OWN COUNTRY AND HIS OWN
PRESIDENT.
WATCH THIS.
>> HE DIVIDES.
YOU WANT TO TALK TO THEM?
NO.
I WOULD SIT ACROSS FROM
BARACK OBAMA THOUGH.
>> Tucker: AT THE AMERICAN
PRESIDENT HE'S TALKING TO.
WELL, IF YOU READ HIS TWITTER
FEE, HE SAYS, INJUSTICE
EVERYWHERE IS A THREAT TO
JUSTICE EVERYWHERE.
OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END OF THE
DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT
THINGS THAT MATTER.
OKAY WELL, OBVIOUSLY THINGS THAT
MATTER DOES NOT INCLUDE THROWING
MUSLIMS IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS
IN CHINA OR THE OPPRESSION OF
MORE THAN A BILLION PEOPLE IN
CHINA.
SO WHAT DOES MATTER TO
LeBRON JAMES AND HIS FRIENDS
AND OUR RULING CLASS?
THE FIRST THING THEY CARE ABOUT
HIS POPULARITY AND THAT'S WHY
THEY ARE DELIGHTED TO WEIGH IN
POLITICALLY WHEN IT'S
FASHIONABLE IN WEST LOS ANGELES,
BASHING THE ADMINISTRATION OR
PROTESTING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
OR RE-TWEETING IN SUPPORT
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS OR WHATEVER.
THEIR FRIENDS CALL THEM BRAVE
WHEN THEY DO THIS, WHICH IS ONE
INDICATION IT'S NOT BRAVERY,
IT'S IN INFIRMARY, WHICH IS THE
OPPOSITE.
THE OTHER THING THAT JAMES AND
THE REST CARE ABOUT IS MONEY.
IT WHEN YOU CRITICIZE BEIJING,
IT MAY COST YOU MONEY.
HERE'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE HERE
LeBRON JAMES IS BOTH STARRING
IN AND UPCOMING FILM CALLING
SPACE JIM TWO.
THE MOVIE IS EXPECTED TO DO
BUSINESS BIG BUSINESS IN CHINA
IF IT IS RELEASED THERE.
JAMES CAN'T RISK THAT.
WEST HOLLYWOOD MADE THE SAME
DECISION MANY YEARS AGO.
IT IS USED TO CRITICIZE THE
DICTATORSHIP OR OF CHINA OR TOOK
THE SIDE OF TIBET.
REMEMBER RICHARD GERE?
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM?
NOT ANYMORE.
IN FACT, THAT'S UNIMAGINABLE.
YOU CAN IMAGINE A MAJOR
HOLLYWOOD PICTURE TAKING THE
SIDE OF TIBET OR HONG KONG OR
THE DALAI LAMA OR HUMAN RIGHTS
IN CHINA, THE WORLD'S LARGEST
COUNTRY.
NO.
INSTEAD, THE STUDIO IS NOW
GROVELED FOR CHINESE FUNDING.
AND IF CHINA APPEARS IN FILMS AT
ALL, IT'S ALWAYS IN A POSITIVE
PORTRAYAL.
MEANWHILE, RUSSIA, WHICH IS A
