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Stop Pretending Conservatives and the ‘Alt-Right’ Are the Same Group

January 23, 2018
Staff

WRITER

A recent USA Today news article wrongly tied Nazi Twitter accounts and the Daily Stormer to the conservative group PragerU.

CEO Marissa Streit joined Glenn on today’s show to talk about why conflating conservatives who believe in American principles with white supremacist hate groups is a serious problem. It’s ridiculous and inaccurate to list PragerU as part of an article about the “alt-right,” a group generally characterized by nationalist and white supremacist ideals.

PragerU, which makes educational videos on conservative topics, is suing Google and YouTube for arbitrarily censoring and demonetizing its videos on U.S. history; Christians who are persecuted worldwide; American leadership; and other topics.

Looking for the petition discussed in this podcast? Follow this link.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: There's an incredible story that was in USA Today.

Alt-right escalates war against Silicon Valley. Pledges to expose bias against conservatives. The alt-right. If you read this story, it talks -- you know, it talks about Nazi groups. It talks about the Klan. It talks about the website. The Daily Stormer. Which is a Nazi website.

And then, lumped in along with everything else, is Prager University.

Now, I don't know about you, but I think there's a difference between Dennis Prager and Hitler. One of them might be the whole Jewish thing.

The other might be that one is driven by facts. Prager University, if you have not seen a Prager U video, this is something that you need to turn your kids onto. You need to share them. You need to support them in any way you possibly can.

Prager University is -- is not a flash point. They are facts and fact-driven.

It's why you never see them taken apart. You don't see a, you know, Prager University facts are wrong, website. Because they're fact-driven. And not emotionally driven.

They are being painted as the alt-right. That just shows that the media has absolutely no idea what the alt-right is, or worse yet, they do, and they don't care.

We have the CEO of PragerU on with us. You've been on before. Melissa (sic), how are you?

MARISSA: Wonderful, thank you for having me on.

GLENN: So, you know, how are things at the office when you read about you and the alt-right and the Nazis all being, you know --

MARISSA: You know, I wish it was laughable because it's almost laughable. But, you know, a few things I know you know about me. First of all, I'm a Jew. Dennis Prager is a Jew.

GLENN: Whoa, when did the Nazi party start to let Jews in?

MARISSA: I mean, we couldn't be further away from the alt-right. Basically, nothing that we believe in, the alternative right, which is basically the alternative to the right, the alternative to conservatism, has more in common with the left than with conservatives. We actually have a video on that, by Mike Knowles.

But this is -- this is a typical tactic of the left. They conflate any of the bad guys with conservatives. And try to make consumers and the audience assume that because we are the bad guys, it's okay to take us down.

As you know, Prager University's videos are completely fact-based. To claim that we have in common with the right is a typical tactic to try to undermine our efforts and our lawsuit against YouTube.

GLENN: So, Marissa, you and I have talked about this privately and on the air before. There is a concerted effort by, I believe, the big four, Facebook, Apple, Google, what's the -- what's the last one? I'm trying to think. The big four.

Anyway, there is a -- there is an effort to silence the voices of anyone on the right.

I mean, what Facebook is doing now with, you know, hey, tell us what news sources you think are credible. That's going to put places like Breitbart, TheBlaze, Daily Wire. It could put us out of business. And they know it. And they know it.

How do we survive in this world where -- where Google and Facebook can control so many eyeballs and are -- and are using these kinds of tactics to ban people who are really trying to be reasonable like PragerU.

MARISSA: You know, Glenn, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you get this. Because this is so dangerous. As somebody who works with millennials and runs an organization that specifically is geared toward speaking and educating millennials, this is very, very dangerous. This is exactly why we've taken on this lawsuit, because the public needs to be aware of the fact that these big fours, as you're saying, have an ideological bent. They have an ideological bias.

And they're not afraid to do whatever it takes to take conservatives down. And that includes lying about who their -- their content creators are.

And, I mean, they hide information from us. This past week, we had another issue with Twitter. It's -- it's pretty unbelievable what's happening out there. I'm not sure what can be done. But the public needs to be aware of the fact that they are in control of the biggest communication platforms in the world. And if we don't do something about it, it's going to get real bad, real soon.

GLENN: Well, it's really disturbing. You know, people don't know this. But Facebook runs an algorithm. Not only are they now saying that we're going to choose which news sites are credible and which ones aren't, and we're not going to spread ones that we think are not credible, I can guarantee you, there's nothing on the right that is going to be deemed credible to Facebook.

Not only are they doing that, and that hasn't even started yet, that is coming very, very soon. They are also changing their algorithm, which is, you know, their right to do. Et cetera, et cetera.

But I will tell you that not my website, thank God, but one of the conservative websites went from their largest day ever and their largest quarter, just keep growing and growing and growing -- in one day, they lost 90 percent of their traffic. Because Facebook targeted the algorithm differently. There's no way media companies, especially on the right, that, you know, are not getting big funding, there's no way to survive.

MARISSA: For social media platforms to claim that the reason that some of the conservative platforms are not getting as many views is because of some sort of algorithm, is -- is ridiculous. Because at the end of the day, who is writing the algorithms? You can't just say, well, it's the algorithm's fault. A human being is behind writing the algorithm. And that's the main issue.

GLENN: I agree. I agree.

MARISSA: They are writing algorithms that are suppressing our information. We see this -- I mean, YouTube has admitted to us. In writing, they've sent us an email saying, we review your content, and we deem your content inappropriate for a young audience. So they make us look like we're some evil bad guys. And because of that, they can block our -- our content and our information, which is exactly what was done in this USA Today. Whoever reported on this, is totally irresponsible, to conflate PragerU with the alt-right is basically irresponsible reporting.

GLENN: And, you know, I have to tell you, the Young Turks, one of the most irresponsible group of people I have ever seen, they got a 20-million-dollar funding from people including Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And I can also guarantee you that their YouTube channel is never going to receive anything. They'll always be spread by YouTube. They'll always be spread by Google. And they are indeed radicals.

I mean, just look up the definition and the history of the Young Turks. And you kind of know where they're coming from. And yet, Dan Rather joined them because they've been normalized.

MARISSA: It's interesting you bring up Young Turks because they have done video responses to some of our videos. And, you know, they get millions of views on -- on the videos that they create. And YouTube has no issue with that. But when PragerU creates videos on opposing views, you know, our videos end up getting demonetized and restricted.

GLENN: And, you know what, I have no problem -- if the Young Turks wants to present an opposing opinion to PragerU, more power to them. But it should be on an even playing field, and we should not be having this nonsense back and forth, algorithms, and people that we know through the words of Media Matters themselves, that they are inside of YouTube and Google and all of the big four, trying to help them understand what radicalism is on the right. They have absolutely no idea. And by -- by coming after people like PragerU, you are only making the alt-right much stronger. Do you agree with that?

MARISSA: First of all, I agree with it. And secondly, the alt-right is actually not as big as they claim it to be. But they create this hysteria around the alt-right. And then they conflate conservatives, conservative Christians with the alt-right in order to make us look like -- again, like the bad guys. In order to justify their efforts to undermined our efforts. I mean, if you think about it, the alt-right has more -- again, they have more in common with the left. They are obsessed with race and identity politics. They reject Christianity. Many of them are actually atheists who reject God. They have a disdain for the individual. They're obsessed with group identity, as anti-American as a concept as it gets. They have more in common with the left. But they try to make conservatives look like they're the same thing as the alt-right. And it's all under one specific agenda, which is to undermine those who have opposing views to theirs. And they'll do whatever it takes. Anything from lying, you know, making up facts that are obviously, you know, lies.

I don't know where it's going to end. This is why we need the public to help us. This is why we're suing YouTube. We have a petition. I invite, you know, your audience. Many of your -- I know that many of the people who listen to you have already signed our petition. But there needs to be a public outcry over this.

GLENN: I cannot urge you strongly enough to get involved.

I mean, PragerU is taking on not YouTube. Google. You don't take on Google with, you know, your hat in your hand.

We must band together. This may be one of the more important lawsuits that are fought in our lifetime. Because your voice is going to be silenced. There is no ifs, ands, or buts. When Prager University is deemed as radical and something that YouTube really needs to watch over and this he need to make sure they keep it away from kids, we have real issues.

When they -- when the press starts to compare PragerU with Nazis, we have real issues. And you will lose your voice. And it's happening right now.

Where can you go to sign the petition and help?

MARISSA: So if you go to our home page, PragerU.com -- P-R-A-G-E-R-U.com -- you'll find an icon. Just click on it. All we're asking for is that you put your email in. We want to show Google and YouTube that there are people out there who are upset about what's happening. And you can help us in whatever way you can. We just want to make the public aware and put some pressure on Google to change their ways.

GLENN: Marissa, thank you so much, God bless.

MARISSA: Thank you. God bless you. Bye.

GLENN: My best to Dennis.

Top THREE reasons we NEED the Panama Canal

Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Is Trump seriously planning a military conquest of the Panama Canal?

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Donald Trump launched the Panama Canal into the national spotlight. The canal is one of the most important passages in the world, and its continued operation has been critical for both the U.S. military and economy since its construction.

Since America relinquished sovereignty of the canal, China has asserted its authority in the region. The Chinese Communist Party has been growing its influence in Panama and neighboring Latin American countries, convincing them to join their "Belt and Road Initiative," an effort to poise China as the main economic power in developing nations across the world. Panama in particular is quickly becoming a Chinese puppet state. There are currently over 200,000 Chinese living in Panama, a Chinese company runs two of the canal's five major ports, and another Chinese company provides telecommunication service for a large portion of the canal. The government of Panama has even gone as far as cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

It's clear that the Panama Canal is under serious threat of falling into Chinese hands, but President Trump doesn't intend to let them move in. Here are the top three reasons we need the Panama Canal:

1. The canal was built by the U.S.

Hulton Archive / Stringer | Getty Images

Without the United States, neither Panama nor the Panama Canal would exist. In 1903, after Colombia refused to allow the U.S. to build a canal across the isthmus of Panama, President Teddy Roosevelt devised a controversial plan. He supported a Panamanian independence movement, which swiftly overthrew the local Colombian government. Meanwhile, he stationed a U.S. warship off the coast, preventing Colombia from sending military forces to retake Panama.

The moment Panama declared its independence, the U.S. recognized it and struck a deal with the new government: the U.S. would control the Canal Zone, while Panama would receive $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000. Construction of the canal took over a decade, cost $375 million, and resulted in thousands of American casualties, making it the most expensive U.S. construction project of its time.

Fast forward to 1964 when tensions between the U.S. and Panama over the canal erupted into a riot. President Lyndon B. Johnson decided it was time to transfer control of the canal to Panama. However, this proved more complicated than expected. In 1968, General Omar Torrijos, a known ally of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, seized control of Panama in a coup. Negotiations over the Canal stalled, as many Americans opposed giving such an important asset to a controversial figure. It wasn’t until 1999, following the deployment of 27,000 U.S. troops to facilitate yet another change in power, that the Canal was officially handed over to Panama.

2. The canal is vital for the U.S. economy

IVAN PISARENKO / Contributor | Getty Images

The U.S. relies heavily on the Panama Canal for commercial shipping. Between 13 and 14 thousand ships use the Panama Canal every year, which is roughly 40 percent of the global cargo ship traffic. Additionally, 72 percent of ships traversing the canal are either heading toward or leaving a U.S. port.

The time ships save using the Panama Canal reduces shipping costs massively. For example, when the canal first opened in 1922, it was estimated that a ship’s journey from Oregon to the UK, was shortened by 42 percent, reducing costs by 31 percent. If the Panama Canal was blocked or destroyed, or if American merchant vessels were denied passage, the effects on the U.S. economy would be tremendous.

3. The canal is a key defense point for the U.S. military

Historical / Contributor | Getty Images

Similarly, the canal is key to the U.S. military and national security. The canal shaves off approximately 8,000 miles of the voyage between the Pacific and the Atlantic. If U.S. Navy ships were denied access in a time of crisis, the extra time required to bypass the canal would be disastrous. Conversely, if the U.S. can keep the Panama Canal from being used by foreign aggressors, it would provide a massive advantage in future conflicts.

A foreign enemy could easily exploit the canal's current vulnerability. This was proven in 2021 when a cargo ship accidentally blocked the Suez Canal for a week, paralyzing global trade. Imagine China intentionally sabotaging the Panama Canal, considering it controls ports on both ends, owns a bridge that spans the Canal, provides its telecom services, and has the second-largest fleet of ships using the route.

TOP 5 takeaways from JD Vance's 'Face the Nation' interview

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

After an eventful first week in office, JD Vance wrapped the week up with a bang of an interview on "Face the Nation."

Last weekend, Vice President Vance joined "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan, who drilled Vance on everything from the economy to immigration. Vance clapped back with polite yet cutting responses, and he defended Trump against some of her more accusatory queries.

If there was any lingering doubt that JD Vance wasn't vice presidential (or presidential) material, they have just been blown away. Here are the major takeaways from his electricinterview on Sunday:

1. J.D. Vance defends Trump's cabinet picks

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Brennan opened the interview with a barrage of questions that brought up concerns surrounding some of Trump's cabinet picks, specifically Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard.

Brennan began by questioning how effective Pete Hegseth could be as Secretary of Defence, given that he was confirmed with a tie in the Senate that VP Vance broke. Vance responded with a quick breakdown of all of the issues the military is currently facing. Vance argued that Hegseth's unpopularity in the Senate results from his being a disruptor.

Brennan also attacked Tulsi Gabbard, calling her unfit for the title of "Director of National Intelligence." Vance defended Gabbard, citing her formidable resume and strong character. Vance also discussed the corruption of our intelligence services, which out-of-control bureaucrats have weaponized against the interests of the American people. He expressed his belief that Gabbard would be the right person to reign in the corruption and return the National Intelligence Service to its intended purpose.

2. J.D. Vance explains how Trump's economic policies will lower consumer prices

Brandon Bell / Staff | Getty Images

Brennan pushed Vance on the economy, specifically questioning when prices for consumer goods would begin to fall. Vance explained that within the plethora of executive orders issued by Trump during his first week in office, many were aimed at bringing more jobs back into America, which will raise wages and lower prices. Other orders will boost energy production, which will reduce energy costs and decrease the costs of goods.

3. J.D. Vance sheds light on needed FEMA reforms

ROBYN BECK / Staff | Getty Images

Brennan drilled Vance on President Trump's proposed FEMA reforms, specifically regarding Trump's suggestion to send states a percentage of federal disaster relief funds so that they can quickly distribute aid rather than wait on federal action. While Brennen argued that FEMA has specialists and resources that states would not have access to, leaving people without aid, Vance argued that recent disasters, like Hurricane Helene, have proven that FEMA's current bureaucratic red tape deprived Americans of immediate aid when they needed it most.

4. J.D. Vance defends Trump's mass deportations

PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / Contributor | Getty Images

Vance defended Trump's decision to allow ICE to conduct raids into churches and schools against Brennen's criticisms, arguing that law enforcement should remove a dangerous criminal from a school or church, regardless of their immigration status. He also advocated for Trump's proposed changes to birthright citizenship to prevent illegal immigrants from abusing the constitutional amendment by having "anchor babies" on U.S. soil.

Vance also took a hard stance supporting Trump suspension of admitting Afghan refugees. Brennan argued that Afghan refugees were going through a thorough vetting process and were now being abandoned by the U.S. However, Vance cited the foiled terrorist attack in Oklahoma City during Trump's 2024 campaign that was orchestrated by an Afghan refugee, who was allegedly vetted by federal agents. The vetting process is clearly flawed, and it was a prudent decision to halt the admission of these refugees until further notice.

5. J.D. Vance insists that Trump will still reign in Big Tech

PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / Contributor | Getty Images

To wrap up the interview, Brennan questioned the Trump administration's stance on Big Tech given the attendance of the industry's biggest names at Trump's inauguration, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. Vance assured Brennan that Trump is still resolved to curb the power and influence of Big Tech.

Top THREE reasons the U.S. NEEDS Greenland

EMIL STACH / Contributor | Getty Images

Are Trump's repeated promises to claim Greenland for the U.S. just belligerent imperialism or a deft move to secure the future of America?

During his patriotic inaugural address, President Trump reiterated his campaign promise to expand American territories, including securing U.S. control over Greenland. This is not a new idea despite what the mainstream media may claim.

The idea of buying Greenland was originally introduced by progressive hero Woodrow Wilson in 1917 as an attempt to secure the homeland as America was gearing up to enter the First World War. The second attempt came after World War II when President Truman tried to buy the island from Denmark in another attempt to shore up national security, this time against the Soviets. Since then, Trump floated the idea in 2019, which was met with much the same ridicule as now.

The truth is that the acquisition of Greenland represents far more than just an outlet for repressed imperialist desires. It would be one of America's best investments in a long time, which is why we've been eyeballing it for so long. Here are three reasons the U.S. needs Greenland:

Strategic Military Position

THOMAS TRAASDAHL / Contributor | Getty Images

For the majority of the 20th century, Europe was the region from which a foreign attack on American soil could be launched: the Germans for the first half of the century, and the Russians for the second half. On both occasions, Greenland stood between our foreign enemies and the United States.

After the World War II, America was the official military defender of Greenland, per an agreement with Denmark. Under this agreement, the U.S. built Pituffik Air Force Base, a remote base 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Due to its location, approximately halfway between D.C. and Moscow, the Pentagon still views Pituffik as a vital component of America's nuclear defense.

The U.S. also built a secret base within the ice cap known as Camp Century. Camp Century was part scientific outpost, part nuclear-tipped ballistic missile silo built in the ice to withstand a direct atomic strike. The nearly two miles of icy tunnels were powered by a nuclear reactor and were designed to survive a nuclear first strike, and return fire. Although abandoned in 1967, Camp Century still symbolizes the strategic importance of Greenland for U.S. security.

Untapped Resources

OLIVIER MORIN / Contributor | Getty Images

While Greenland's population is a mere 56,000, the island has a total landmass nearly three times the size of Texas. According to a 2009 geological assessment, a whopping 30 percent of the Earth's undiscovered natural gas, and 13 percent of its undiscovered oil is locked away beneath Greenland's icy ground. There are also untapped deposits of valuable rare earth metals including copper, graphite, and lithium.

Neither Greenland nor Denmark have any real plans to tap into this immense wealth trapped beneath the ice, but it could prove crucial for ending the West's dependency on China. China has the global market cornered on rare earth minerals- including America. We acquire 72 percent of our rare earth mineral imports from China, making us entirely dependent on them for the manufacturing of many essential goods. Tapping Greenland's natural resources would help free America, and the West, from China's yolk.

Polar Silk Road

mark peterson / Contributor | Getty Images

In 2018 China launched an ambitious project that aimed to cut the travel time of cargo vessels between its ports and European markets in half. China, in collaboration with Russia, plans on developing new shipping routes through the Arctic Ocean. This bold new strategy, dubbed the "Polar Silk Road," has been made possible thanks to new tech, including a fleet of Russian, nuclear-powered icebreakers, the latest of which is capable of breaking through nearly 10 feet of ice.

With clear waterways from eastern China and Northern Europe, it won't be long before the first cargo ships brave the frigid sea and China looks to the next leg of the journey: the Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage is the area of sea between Canada and the North Pole that would be an optimal shipping route between America's East Coast and Asia if it wasn't frozen over most of the year. But with new technology, we may be able to overcome the challenges of the ice and open the passage to commercial traffic, and Greenland is positioned directly on the passage's easternmost mouth.

Greenland would quickly become a key location along the Northwestern Passage, acting as a sentinel of the east, with the ability to control traffic through the trade route. If China or Russia were to take control of Greenland, they would dominate the Northwestern Passage, along with the rest of the new northern trade routes.

Is Romania squashing its own 'Trump' candidate?

DANIEL MIHAILESCU / Contributor | Getty Images

This week the streets of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, erupted in protest after the Constitutional Courts annulled the recent first round of the presidential election after the "far-right" candidate won.

The government is lying to you. If you have been listening to Glenn for a long time you already know that, and you also know that if you try to call attention to the lies you get labeled a conspiracy theorist or "far-right." This is not only true in America but across the world. Politicians cheat, steal, and grab power, then lie about all of it. This is the root of countless issues across every government on the planet, and recently Romania has become the latest example of this unfortunate phenomenon.

But what is really happening in Romania? Was this an actual attempt to stamp out someone who would shed light on lies and corruption? Or did the Romanian government put a stop to a genuine bad actor?

The Election

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

On December 6th, 2024, the Romanian Constitutional Court canceled the second round of the presidential election amid claims of Russian interference. The second round of the election would have seen right-wing candidate, Calin Georgescu face off against pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi.

The trouble surrounds Georgescu, who stands accused of using Russian aid to run an unprecedented social media campaign that helped him win an election pollsters claimed he stood no chance of winning. Georgescu's rapid rise in popularity on social media does raise some eyebrows, and to add to the suspicion he declared he had zero campaign spending. On the other hand, Georgescu's supporters claim that his quick rise to stardom and underdog victory is due to the growing resentment for the ever-out-of-touch political elite.

Georgescu's Platform

Andrei Pungovschi / Stringer | Getty Images

Georgescu rose to prominence on a platform many of his detractors have labeled "far-right," "pro-Russian," and "populist" (sound familiar?). His positions include supporting Romanian farmers, increasing Romanian self-reliance, and increasing local energy production. Georgescu has been lauded for his message of hope and vision for the future and his dedication to truth, freedom, and sovereignty.

Georgescu is also a vocal Christian and a supporter of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He has questioned the climate change and COVID-19 narrative as well as NATO and the war in Ukraine, which is how he earned his "Pro-Russian" monicker. Georgescu promised to respect and honor its obligations to the EU and NATO, but only to the extent that they respect Romania and its interests.

What Happens Next?

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

After Georgescu's unexpected victory, the Romanian Constitutional Courts annulled the election's first round and scheduled it to restart on May 4th. As of now, it is unclear whether Georgescu will be allowed to participate in the new election. This act by the Constitutional Courts triggered mass protests in the capital, Bucharest, and has caused many Romainians to question the state of democracy within their country.

Many of the protesters are calling what happened a coup and are demanding the election be allowed to continue to the second round. They are also calling for the resignation of current President Klaus Iohannis, who has maintained power thanks to the incomplete elections. Georgescu has officially challenged the court's decision and even made a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, but it is unclear if his appeal will make any difference.