We’re on the path of the Weimar Republic

June 30, 2015

WRITER

Printing money, violating the Constitution, abandoning morality, legalizing drugs - these were all steps on the path of Germany's transformation from Weimar Republic to Nazi Germany. We are seeing the same disturbing parallels play out in Greece - and America doesn't seem far behind either. We're on a dangerous road, but it's not too late to speak up. Glenn said there is a key moment in German history we haven't seen play out yet. Will the world wake up before it's too late?

Below is a transcript of this segment:

I’ve been warning about a financial collapse in Greece for years, and here it is. I said probably six years ago that in Spain or Greece we would see the rise of the Nazi party—it happened in Greece—and Spain or Greece would be the first that would actually be the domino that would begin to make the EU crumble. We have talked about this for a long time. I was mocked about it, and here it is.

This is a precursor for us. Stocks around the globe have tanked in the wake of the news that Greece’s demise is now imminent. Banks in Greece have closed. Their stock exchange is shut down all week. People rushed at two o’clock in the morning to go to an ATM machine to find out that they had been limited no matter how much they had in the bank to 68 bucks. Visitors to Greece should be aware of the possibility that banking services including credit card processing and servicing of ATMs throughout Greece could potentially become limited at short notice, so bring large sums of cash. What could possibly happen by encouraging people to carry large sums of cash when banking services are down? That seems like it’s going to be great.

A few years ago, I went to Greece, and this is when the austerity protests were taking over. I want to remind you of some of it.

VIDEO

Glenn: Across the street, what makes a significant is what’s across the street. This is the National Bank of Greece right here, and you can see that it has been spray-painted. They’ve been throwing paint bombs up against the wall. There’s anarchy symbols all on the street all leading up to it, but still that’s not the significant piece. What is significant is that building. That is the Central Bank of Greece. The central banks, like our Fed, are a real problem all around the world.

You see this on the wall back there? If my memory serves me right, what that says on that wall is if the revolution doesn’t come by peace, it will come through violence, anarchy. We’re about to see the violence.

Remember, we have Nazis on the ground, and the leader is a communist. Russia is butting in now, so you’re going to have the fascists and the communists, the Nazis and the communists, going at it once again. We’re going to re-air part of this documentary at 8:00 p.m. on, is it Wednesday? Wednesday, at 8:00 p.m. They’re bracing for social unrest as the ATMs run out of cash. Self-preservation is kicking in. People are hoarding gasoline and groceries.

I’m mocked all the time for saying to prepare. I was mocked for saying this about Greece. I was mocked to say that the caliphate, but look how quickly things go down the moment you lose access to all the conveniences that we assume you’re just always going to have access to. Let me ask you a question, do you think we’ll be any different when our economic day of reckoning comes? #LoveWins, because it’s coming.

Everything Greece has done, everything we’re doing, we have seen it play out before. The parallels are striking. In the 1920s, Germany’s Weimar Republic, it rose in the aftermath of World War I and suffered from a horrible economy. Most of it stemmed from the government’s decision to attempt to pay its deep foreign debts inflicted by progressive Woodrow Wilson on Germany. They decided they were going to print the money and just give the rest of the world inflated money because they didn’t have any money so they just printed it. Sound familiar?

This caused hyperinflation which crippled the economy, put it out. Unemployment, food and energy shortages were everywhere, and the people were desperate. It opened the door for extremist views to take root. This is how the Nazi party became popular. Golden Dawn in Greece is doing the same thing all over again, and the same thing will happen here if we don’t wake up. We’re making the same mistakes.

In the Weimar Republic, the government decided to enact gun registration and then allowed for governments to confiscate the firearms if needed for public safety. When Hitler eventually seized power, he used all of the registration of the firearms to disarm the political opponents and the Jews. The Jews weren’t allowed to own guns. They got 20 years in labor camps if they were caught with one.

Weimar tried to print their way out of debt. So did Greece. So are we. Weimar restricted guns. So have we. Nazis used suffering to gain power. Extremists did the same in Greece, and we’re beginning to do it here as well. We’ll dismiss them—oh, it’ll never happen here. In Weimar, they legalized drugs and abandoned morals to become hypersexualized, depicted in movies like Cabaret. So, what have we done? We legalize drugs, and I don’t think I have to spend any time convincing anyone that the ship has sailed on valuing morality. Then they had an assassination attempt on their leader, the president of Germany. The then chancellor, like our speaker of the house kind of, broke the constitution, broke all the laws, and went out and hunted down the supposed killers. It was called the Night of Long Knives.

This leader of their country broke every single law, broke the constitution blatantly, and killed all of his enemies. The next morning he got on radio, and he admitted it. He came clean. He said with hat in hand in a long speech to the Nazi controlled Reichstag in Parliament that 74 people had been shot, and I did this because I was trying to save the republic.

He said, “If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not resort to the regular courts of justice, then all I can say is this: In this hour, I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I became the supreme judge of the German people. It was no secret that this time the revolution would have to be bloody; when we spoke of it, we called it the ‘Night of Long Knives.’ Everyone must know for all future time that if he raises his hand to strike the State, then certain death is his lot.”

Guess what happened. This was the turning point. When Hitler broke the constitution and broke the law, if the German people would have stood up, the legitimate German president would’ve kicked him out, but the German people stood up and applauded. The government forgave him, and when they did, the president wanted to elevate him to a new office because he was going to retire. Hitler again with hat in hand said oh my, I could never replace him as president. That’s too much power for me. That’s too lofty of a title. I’ll take a new lowly office. Let’s just call me the Fuhrer.

He changed history. He changed the course of that country and the world. He based everything in his country on a new pseudoscience. Sound familiar? He nationalized and socialized their new economy. He imaged himself as a Christian. Indeed, he was not a Christian. Even though he claimed to be one, when he was running, boy, oh boy, did he talk about Christian values, but in the end he became an antichrist himself.

It was just a few years in to him being the Fuhrer that he told churches what they could and couldn’t do. Sound familiar? He replaced all the crucifixes in the churches with a picture of himself that was placed on the altar, and he said “the only religion in Germany is that of the Fuhrer.”

A good friend of mine, Eric Metaxas, wrote a fantastic book that’s soon going to be a movie. He wrote a friend of mine this weekend, and he said this is the time of Bonhoeffer. We are living this history again. Bonhoeffer couldn’t save the German people from themselves, but there weren’t a lot of people on board with him. We cannot make the mistakes of the past. Our government is already making them. We as a people must begin to gather together and stand for eternal principles in our own lives. No matter what our faith or our doctrines, we must come together.

Even though the world has been turned upside down, the phrase that did it is actually true, and if it is properly interpreted, it is the secret. It’s love wins, and it has nothing to do with who you sleep with.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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