BLOGMarch 12, 2018

We are entering a new dark age: Fake subjects are taking over media and academia

What’s going on?

Conservative British philosopher, professor and writer, Roger Scruton, spoke in Australia about the way ‘fake subjects’ have taken over in the media and academia, which is exactly what has happened throughout history at the onset of a totalitarian regime.

This Economics Professor Thinks College Is Useless

“One of the first things that happens when a totalitarian government takes over, is the universities are ‘cleaned up,’ which is to say people who are doing that kind of thing [rejecting fake subjects] are thrown out. This is what happened when the Nazis took over German Universities and when the Soviets, or communists, took over the Russian universities,” Scruton said. “On the whole, this is the first move that the totalitarian mentality makes to stop that kind of free-minded, open scholarship in pursuit of truth.”

What are these fake subjects?

“We have seen the grown of an extraordinary number of new subjects in the University in which the pursuit of truth seems to be secondary to … the pursuit of some kind of political conformity. If you take a subject like women’s studies — now I know this is a controversial issue, but perhaps it can be talked about freely in this room. You can’t talk about it freely in America, on the whole,” explained Scruton. “It’s a subject constructed around an ideology … to question it, is something which is essentially made impossible — both by the curriculum and by the way of teaching it. And I think you’ll find that there are quite a lot of subjects like that growing in our universities in which conformities to an orthodoxy takes precedence over intellectual method.”

Glenn’s take:

Universities are meant to question, to hold to the facts, and use scientific standards to be able to decide,” said Glenn. “He’s saying that we have rejected that, just the way they did in Europe, just the way they did in Russia, just the way they do in China …. We are entering a new dark age. We are going back into it, and we’re being lead to slaughter.”

STU: Roger Scruton.

GLENN: Yeah. Roger Scruton. Okay. So Roger Scruton is a professor that says, you know, we've got a problem.

Now, he's speaking in Australia.

And he's saying, we have a problem. And I want to talk to you about it. But I can talk to you about it here, kind of, if everybody will stay rational. But I definitely can't have this conversation in America. So let's play cut one.

VOICE: One of the first things that happens when a totalitarian government takes over, is that the universities are cleaned up. That's to say, people who are doing that kind of thing, get thrown out. This is what happened when the Nazis took over the German universities and when the Soviets took over -- the communists took over the Russian universities.

And it was the case in eastern Europe in my day, with the sole exception of Poland, which had universities, which were the only universities where every professor was on the right. That was because the communists were everywhere.

But on the whole, this is the first move that the totalitarian mentality makes, to stop that kind of free-minded open scholarship in pursuit of truth. And it may be there has to be something like that.

You know, maybe after all in the Middle Ages, maybe theology was like that.

But the interesting thing about medieval theology is that it encouraged the intellectual method, despite its requirement of orthodoxy.

GLENN: So it's really interesting what he's saying is, whenever there's a totalitarian regime anywhere in the world, the first thing they do is take the universities. And the universities are meant to question, hold to the facts, and use scientific standards to be able to decide. And he is saying that we have rejected that, just the way they did in Europe, just the way they did in Russia, just the way they do in China, rejected those scientific standards. And we're entering a new dark age.

And, you know, that might sound like hyperbole, to those who might be listening on the left. But it's -- can you honestly say that scientific standards have been adhered to -- boy, this is controversial -- for -- for climate change.

I mean, I'm willing to look at the thermometer and say, okay. The thermometer is going up. The thermometer is going down. I'm not willing to project a weather pattern out over 100 years.

I'm not willing to look at weather or climate over 100 years because you've already been wrong.

STU: Well, you can look at it, you just to have apply the appropriate level of skepticism and uncertainty, which is not allowed.

GLENN: Correct. Correct. Then also you cannot shun those who have a different opinion. Scientific standards rely on you to say, okay. Wait a minute. Question. Question. Question. Is there any new data? Is there anything that's changing? Question. Question. Question.

We're not questioning anymore. And that should scare everyone. We need to question these things.

Now, I'm willing to -- I'm willing to say, okay. Global warming is happening. It makes sense to me that maybe man is playing a role in that. I don't think man is insignificant.

But I also don't think that the planet is -- the planet will destroy us before we can destroy it. And I don't want that to happen. I want to do the things that we can do.

I'm willing to do those things. If you -- without even proving. It's good to take care of the planet. But if you prove to me that we are doing things, okay. So then, what's the next step?

What's the most effective thing we can do?

Well, stop eating meat. Get rid of farms. Okay. How come I'm not hearing that.

STU: Yeah. You very rarely do. And that's the same source, the UN, that gives us all the rest of it.

GLENN: So it doesn't happen because it doesn't entail $14 trillion of wealth being redistributed. That's why. There's no wealth redistribution when it comes to the farms. None.

STU: You don't need laws. You don't need more control. You just do it, right?

GLENN: Just stop. Just stop eating meat.

STU: And, of course, they won't. I mean, very rarely. It took Al Gore, what? Five or six -- it was longer than that. Ten years before he supposedly converted.

GLENN: Right.

STU: It would be interesting to know if that's actually true. But instead of being in a place where you can question things like that, we are in a place where the Australian government has provided a 19,000-dollar grant, to a playwright, who has written a play, entitled Kill Climate Deniers.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

STU: The plot, a classic rock band takes the stage in parliament's house main hall. And 96 armed eco terrorists stormed the building and take the entire government hostage, threatening to execute everyone, unless Australia ends global warming.

GLENN: Is that more akin to the Dark Ages or to the Enlightenment?

STU: Of course, the Dark Ages.

GLENN: Of course. Of course it is. And that's exactly what we're being dragged back into.

We fought hard as man. We fought hard to get out of the Dark Ages, where somebody said, I know the answer, and you don't.

And I'm basing it on what was then known as something that you didn't use any of your senses, you couldn't see it, taste it, feel it, hear it. It was called nonsense.

And so we rejected all things that were nonsense. We fought hard to get out of the Dark Ages. And we are going back into it. And we are being led to slaughter.

And we -- we got to turn this around. Now, listen to what he says about women's studies, et cetera, et cetera.

VOICE: So we have been lucky in inheriting universities of that kind. But is it the case that we still have them? We have seen the growth of an extraordinary number of new subjects in the university, in which the pursuit of truth seems to be secondary to something else. The other thing being the pursuit of some kind of political conformity.

If you take a subject like women's studies -- now, I know this is a controversial issue. But perhaps it can be talked about freely in this room. You can't talk about it freely in America on the whole.

Anyway, there is a subject, it's very difficult to imagine, that you would succeed in that subject, if you didn't have either at the outset or certainly in the conclusion, feminist opinions.

Now, there is -- it's a subject constructed around an ideology. It might be that this ideology is grounded in truth. Who knows? But to question it is something which is essentially made impossible, both by the curriculum and by the way of teaching it. And I think you'll find that there are quite a lot of subjects like that, growing in our universities, in which conformity to an orthodoxy takes precedence over intellectual method.

GLENN: He talks about, so what is the solution, that you replace the male hierarchy with female hierarchy? You replace the white hierarchy with the black hierarchy?

That's not -- that's not scientific. That's not thoughtful. That's nothing. That's truly nothing.

STU: It just makes you feel good.

GLENN: For a little while, until you realize that people are people.

There was an interesting article -- I'm trying to get into it tomorrow, that was written on Winston Churchill. And it was an op-ed in the Washington Post. And it came out I think yesterday. And it was talking about what an evil SOB Winston Churchill was.

And in some regards, yeah. When it comes to India, yep. Yep. Really bad. He made some really bad decisions.

And was pretty racist. Okay.

So does that make him evil? Do we reject all of the things that he did to save freedom because he was so wrong in his time on India?

No. We have to know all of the really bad things about Winston Churchill, and we need to know all of the really good things about Winston Churchill. Because it makes him human.

All of us -- all of us have a really bad side and a really good side.

Which one is in control of your life?

And are you getting better? You know, what the author left out is, by the time the 1940s were in, Winston Churchill was already regretting the things he said and did in India. He was already saying, I shouldn't have done that. I wish I would have done this. He learned.

What are we learning now? What are we really teaching? We're teaching that -- in this case, Winston Churchill is really, really bad. No. He wasn't.

He was really bad here. He was really good here. Now let's have the discussion.

So what does that mean? And what does that tell us about us? And then, what should that tell us about power?

What should that tell us about how to make sure that we're careful with power and who we give power to and how we restrain power?

But if we're only being indoctrinated that Winston Churchill, as one, as an example, is just a horrible human being, that's just an overcorrection, and it takes us nowhere. It takes us to nihilism.

RADIO

LA Mayor's Ties to VIOLENT RADICALS Exposed After California Fires

Many liberal Californians, including Hollywood elites, are turning on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after she stayed in Ghana instead of immediately heading home once wildfires destroyed the Palisades. But should the people of Los Angeles be surprised? Glenn reviews Mayor Bass’ radical history, as laid out in a short documentary by Errol Weber. She visited Cuba multiple times during the reign of Fidel Castro as part of the Venceremos Brigade, a Marxist training program that taught insurgency and guerilla warfare. She praised Castro, even when he died. And her government has defunded firefighters to fund NGOs. Once again, Glenn says, who you vote for matters.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I want to take you back to November 7th 1983. Ronald Reagan is in office.

Do you know the date, November 7th, 1983?

It a night that echoes in the halls of American history.

It is the date that a radical group, known as M19, bombed the north wing of the United States capital.

They bombed it. It went off.

You don't know that date, November 7th, 1983.

I mean, isn't that the day that democracy almost died?

It was worse than the -- worst than the Civil War. Oh, no.

Sorry, that was January 6th, which all of us know, January 6th.

Why not November 7th, 1983. Now, the group that did it, M19, claimed they were fighting imperialism.

What they were really fighting for, was the threat to the foundations of democracy. These were radicals. Now, why am I bringing this up today?

Because if you're going to understand today, and the future, you have to understand the past.

And one name is out right now, that people are talking about, that you need to understand, who this individual is.

This individual is currently the mayor of Los Angeles.

Her name is Karen Bass. Now, this is the same mayor that was over in Ghana. And when she got back with the fires, she was asked, you know, do you have any comment?

You were over in Ghana. Is this dereliction of duty? What were you doing?

Do you have any message to the people of Los Angeles? Listen to this exchange.

VOICE: Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent when their homes were burning? Do you regret cutting the fire department budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor?

Have you nothing to say today?

GLENN: She's standing in the airport.

VOICE: You have nothing to say to the citizens today?

Elon Musk says you're utterly incompetent. Are you considering your position?

Madam Mayor, have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster? No apology for them?

Do you think you should have been visiting Ghana when this was unfolding, back home?

GLENN: Now, he's standing, you know that part, you know, where it bends, to go right into the -- right into the airplane.

You know, right as you're going into the ramp.

And then bends into the airplane.

She's standing right at that bend.

She was actually looking through the window, the glass, at security because she gets special treatment.

She gets to not go through the airport. She can just go down those stairs, and a car will pick her up and whisk her away. So she's standing there, looking at security, like open the door.

When are you going to open the door? Finally, she just looks through and shakes her head. And gets instruction. Just go the other way. So she leaves.

Now, what does she -- what does she have to say?

Well, not a lot. Not a lot.

But let's understand who she is, and why she doesn't have a lot to say. Karen Bass built her career, as a community activist. Oh, there's a code word we now understand what it means. The activism is a polite term now for her history. She's an activist.

Well, okay. Her history is tied to radicalism. Marxism.

And a dangerous ideology, that bled from the fringes, into the mainstream here recently.

Let's start with the facts on her. Back in the 1970s, Karen Bass was not just a casual traveler to Cuba.

Were there any?

When she went to Cuba, many, many times, she was a devoted participate in what's called the Venceremos Brigade.

What is that? I've never heard of it.

Well, it's a Marxist training program, directly tied to Fidel Castro's regime. Between 1969 and today, this group has sent hundreds of young Americans to Cuba.

Not for a vacation. Not for cultural exchange. But for radicalization.

You don't join the Venceremos Brigade because you want to learn -- what's the emoji with the salsa dancer? That's not what that is about. It's not about good Cuban coffee.

You join because you're a confirmed Marxist Leninist. A Los Angeles police investigator testified before Congress about this group. He said, members were trained in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and bomb making. These are not idealists. They're insurgents in training. Karen Bass, she was not just a participant. She was a leader.

She visited Cuba repeatedly, she said, every six months.

We can verify eight times. She praised Fidel Castro, the dictator of Cuba, who was imprisoning dissenters, left a legacy of poverty and fear.

In fact, this is not just her youth. She's still there. When Castro died, she was one of them who called his death a great loss to the people of Cuba. Really?

A loss to the same people who risked their lives fleeing his regime, trying to get out of Cuba?

This is Karen Bass. She's the Los Angeles mayor, one of the largest cities in the United States of America.

So let's fast forward to the president. 4 million people. A city on fire. Literally, and figuratively.

Wildfires, raging across the city. Firefighters begging for resources. Like water!

Mayor Bass had other priorities. Instead of supporting her own fire department, she cut their funding. Where is the money going?

To NGOs. Nongovernment institutions.

That will be understood. NGOs. Nongovernmental institutions or organizations. That will come to know.

That's code for leftist activists, most times.

And she gave the fire fighting money, to homeless NGO, who are fighting for the rights of illegal immigrants.

Oh. Now, they're packaging that as she gave money to fight homelessness.

Okay.

Well, homelessness is a crisis. But let's not kid ourselves.

Los Angeles has poured billions of dollars into solving this problem.

And it ends up in tent cities. Open air markets. Streets lined with garbage and human waste. Chaos spreading. And wait. What does she do? She defunds the people who are fighting fires.

That's not. You don't take money away from the firefighters in an area of the country, that's known for fire fighting.

They don't even have enough firefighters. Okay. First responders, the people that run into buildings, and instead, she's in a different building in a different hemisphere.

She's in Ghana, attending the swearing in ceremonies of the -- I guess the president of Ghana, who I don't know anything about. Stu, I asked to look it up, maybe give us an update here in a second.

So her city was burning. And Mayor Bass was thousands of miles away, rubbing elbows at a presidential inauguration in Ghana.

Is that leadership, or is that dereliction of duty?

I mean, you can go. But was she on taxpayer funds going into Ghana? Why was she there?

Anyway, let's go back to the radical history for a moment. Because it didn't end with the Venceremos Brigade. M-19, the same group that bombed the Capitol in 1983, had direct ties to Cuba and the brigade.

Remember, she's a leader, in this.

Now, Susan Rosenberg, she was one of the women that Travolta Cuba. And returned as a domestic terrorist. Shared the same ideological roots as Karen Bass.

And I'm not saying Karen Bass planted the bomb or anything.

But let's be clear. She was part of exactly the same radical network. She called Fidel Castro, charismatic. She praised the dictator who was brutalizing his people. She aligned herself with a movement that believed in revolutionary violence, including the bombing of the Capitol.

Now, she of some reformed. She hasn't come out and said, oh, my gosh, have I learned my lesson?

That was really bad. I was a stupid kid. No. No.

She's held on to those things. And, in fact, she was considered a front runner for vice president under Joe Biden.

Her record was so toxic, so troubling, that even the democratic party said, can we do that?

When your Marxist roots are too bad, too heavy, for the Democrats, the progressives in Washington, DC, today!

That says something. So here we are, 40 years, since the Capitol bombing. Something that people just don't remember, because, well, the media didn't make it into a big deal.

And the ideology that fueled that bombing is alive and well. And sitting in the mayors office in Los Angeles.

Karen Bass is just using new words. She's fighting for justice, or equity. She's fighting for the people. But what has her leadership actually brought?

Homeless encampments. Not housing.

Tent cities. Fires burning out of control.

Fire departments stretched to its limits. Millions are funneled to political pet projects.

And all the while the city is spiraling deeper and deeper into chaos.

November 7th, 1983. I want you to remember that date because the seeds of radicalism planted then are still bearing fruit today!

And Karen Bass? Well, she's not just a relic of that radical past.

Had he in many ways, is a torch bearer.

By the way, I got tipped off by this, by a short documentary, I saw. On Karen Bass, from Errol Webber.

Errol Webber is a very smart guy.

We did a great, great job on this.

We tried to contact him, to get him to tell this story on the air today. We didn't get a call back. He lives in Los Angeles.

And we hope and pray that we just missed each other, and it's not because he is in jeopardy or his family is in jeopardy, or his home and neighborhood is in jeopardy because of these same fires.

RADIO

The BIGGEST LESSON From the California Wildfires

The California wildfires that have ripped through the Palisades and other parts of the Los Angeles area have been unbelievably devastating. Many have lost their homes, including famous celebrities. But was this tragedy avoidable? While Glenn doesn’t want to make this about politics, he says we must note that “California has been playing with fire, literally, for a long time.” The state has neglected its forests for decades thanks to bureaucracy, politics, and “eggheads” from the cities. Glenn also explains how the region’s water infrastructure has also been neglected, which has led to fire hydrants running dry. Finally, Glenn addresses what is likely the biggest lesson for California: “How you vote matters.”

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: All righty. So -- so let's talk about what's happening in California. And my heart is truly heavy for those people, who have families in California. The people in California, that have lost their homes or are still faring that they might lose their home.

You know, this is a -- if you've never seen a forest fire, you can't really describe it.

It's almost like a tornado.

Unless you've been in a tornado, or seen the damage after his, you really don't know what you're talking about with the tornado.

It's unlike anything I've ever seen.

Same thing with a forest fire.

We had a small forest fire here, up in the -- up in the mountains, of Idaho last summer.

It was just about, oh, I don't know, 2 miles down the street for me.

Luckily, the winds weren't there.

But if the winds had kicked up, it probably would have burned my house down. I mean, it is -- you cannot describe a forest fire. It is -- when it's out of control, you have no chance. Just get out of there.

And my heartbreaks for people, who are going through this, right now. And breaks for the people of California.

I -- let me address that person right now, if you happen to be in California. Know that you're not alone.

You may feel like the flames have stolen everything from you.

But -- and, boy, I was thinking about this, well, this summer, when I came back from that forest fire. And thought, all of this could be gone.

The things that you have in your house, they are just things. But there are certain things. Memories, pictures. Things that you have collected over the years, with your family. That can't be replaced.

And I know what that must feel like.

But two things: One, you're alive. You have your family.

And help is on the way. My charity, Mercury One is along with the Red Cross and everybody else.

Is working tirelessly to bring relief and comfort and assistance to those who are affected right now.

We are -- we are doing what our government is asking us to do. We don't want to get in the way of forest. Or firefighters.

They have enough trouble.

But I -- I -- I want to talk to you first, with compassion. About why this keeps happening.

And what California needs to do about it.

This is not my state. This is their state. But if you're asking for our help, you know -- one of the hardest things I've ever had to do is -- I had a friend I went to church with.

And he called me. One time. And he said, Glenn, I really need -- I don't remember what it was. Say a thousand dollars.

Because I have to get home. Some family stuff.

And I -- I was about to say, yes.

But in my -- in my faith, we -- it's the largest welfare program, I think in the world.

And we take care of, you know, not just our own. But anybody who lives in the district of that particular church.

The bishop is responsible for them.

And we have to take care of our neighbors.

And so with that, it's very orderly.

You know, when you have a problem with or if there is a problem with is the neighbor or something. You go to the church. Hey, my neighbor. Who is not a member of the church. Is really in trouble.

Can you help? And they usually will. But with that, there are certain things you have to do.

You just don't get free money. You know, you have to change can't life.

You'll take classes on how to, you know, manage money. Or whatever the thing is. So I said, to this person, I was just about to say yes. And I said, hey, have you talked to the bishop yet?

And he said, no. No. I haven't.

Now, that's unusual, in my faith, if you have a big problem. Especially with money, you normally would go to the bishop.

And I said with be okay. Let me call you back. And I called the bishop.

And I said, hey. So-and-so just called me. And I can do this.

Is there anything I'm missing here.

And he said, Glenn, I'm so glad you called me.

He said, yes. This particular individual is struggling, and we've been helping for a while.

But he won't connect with the problem. And correct the problems.

And he said, he's doing this from time to time. He'll call people. And they'll just give him money. And that hurts it.

So I ask you to do the thing. This is probably the hardest thing you've ever done. I know you have the money to help. Please don't. Because it will help set him back, and not help him feel the full ramifications. So I had to call my friend back and say, I can't right now. And I felt awful. I felt absolutely awful about it.

But if we don't talk and face the problem, you're never going to solve it. Now, this, again is not my problem.

California, you're not my problem.

Okay? I mean, I want to help. And as a citizen of America, you're another citizen.

You're my neighbor. I want to help. I want to help people all over the world. But first, you have to help yourself.

You know, natural disasters, most times are out of our control.

The extent of the destruction, in California, you know, could be mitigated. If we made smarter choices about how, you know, Californians manage their land. And their resources.

Examine their votes. California has been playing with fire, literally for a long time.

Their forests are full of underbrush. Dead trees. Dry vegetation. Which is kindling for those flames.

The material builds up on the forest floor. It's a perfect condition. For fire -- if you're going to start a fire, go to California. Because that's a perfect condition.

I'm not saying that literally, by the way. But it doesn't have to be this way.

You know, you go to places like Sweden or Finland or Austria. Countries that have large, vulnerable forests.

They understand the importance of forest management.

Can they prioritize the clearing out of underbrush. And the clearing out of trees.

And because they're a little socialist in nature, they do it in a sustainable way. They partner with local industries, that will take that material, from the forest floor.

And they use it as bio mass energy for other products.

So it doesn't just reduce the fire risk.

It creates jobs. And a healthier ecosystem.

Here in America, some states do it right.

I mean, Florida has fires. But not like California.

Why?

Because they do controlled burns.

Forest thinning.

Routine practicing. You know what, honestly, God does this.

Lightning.

Before we would put forest fires out, or could.

Lightning would strike.

That would burn the forest down. And it replenishes the soil and everything else.

We don't want to do that. Because our houses are surrounded by trees and forest and everything else. So we either have to do a controlled burn, or we have to go in and take all of that stuff, that lightning would have taken out, to replenish everything.

But California's won't do that.

Why? The answer lies in bureaucracy. And priorities.

And -- and really, honestly, egghead.

You know, these people from the cities, that want to manage our forests have no idea, it's common sense.

The environmental regulations. The lawsuits that block or delay, any kind of forest management.

Ideology has gotten in the way of the practical. The lifesaving solutions.

And this has to change, California. It has to.

You see devastation every year. And, you know, honestly, I -- I really don't like insurance companies.

But insurance companies, what they do, it's -- honestly, it's legal gambling.

They are gambling, that you are going to pay them more money, than they have to pay out. As a collective.

Somebody's house might burn down. You might have something catastrophic. Cancer or something that costs a buttload of money. But they're betting, that all of the people in their community, they're sharing the risk.

And not everybody is going to get cancer at the same time.

That way, they can make money. It's legalized gambling.

Honestly, it is. Well, that's the way insurance works. And I don't like insurance companies.

Because many times, they're scamming people, or hurting people. However, let's not blame the insurance companies for getting out. If I'm a company and I have to make a bet, I'm pulling out of California. It's landslides. It's fires. It's floods. It's every year, whole swaths of the state are -- are -- are burning down to the ground!

What kind of bet is that? How do you keep a country -- now, what they'll say is they'll do what they did, when you couldn't get flood insurance, on the coastlines.

We used to say, well, then don't live there. Or if you live there, accept the risk yourself.

Okay.

Instead, we didn't think that was fair. So we came up with government funding.

If you couldn't get flood insurance. No longer was it, don't live in a flood zone!

Build your house somewhere else.

I don't know if you've seen the country, but there's lots of open space.

Don't build in a flood zone.

Instead, we wanted to help everybody, live their dreams. On now, we pay as a federal government, for insurance, for the coastlines.

Why? Okay.

The other issue is water. And let me tell you what the problem is in California.

Now, we know what the immediate problem is: They don't -- firefighters don't have water coming through the fire hydrants. Why is that?

GLENN: We all know that -- I mean, when we look for life on another planet. We look for water.

Because water is essential to life. At least the life we understand.

And that is a major issue, in California, and has been for -- forever.

However, California, take responsibility for the fires to some degree.

You haven't built a new major reservoir, since 1979.

That was four decades ago.

Now, I don't know if you know this. But 40 years ago, the population of your state. Was not the population that it was now.

So the reservoirs, that you had, 40 years ago, is way out of step, with your population, and your needs today!

Your water storage capacity is exactly the same as it was, almost half a century ago!

And on top of that, and this is something Trump has addressed recently. Billions with a B. Billions of gallons of rainwater, flow straight to the ocean every year. Because you haven't built the infrastructure, to capture and store the rainwater.

Now, imagine what could be different, if you had reservoir and aqueducts and desalination plants, to store and provide water for all of the dry seasons!

Water is life. California has spent decades neglecting its water infrastructure, while prioritizing projects that make no meaningful impact on people's lives. This is not a failure just of government. It is a failure of vision.

When the -- when the -- the -- when a leader is not around. When the people lack leadership, there is no vision. And without vision, people perish.

That's what's happening.

Now, on leadership, I'm sorry to make this about politics. But you have to learn the lesson. It has to be said.

How you vote matters. Look at Los Angeles. The progressive mayor cut the fire department's budget. To fund other programs, to give money and housing, they say for the homeless. But it's also a legal program since she gave it to NGOs.

Now, these NGOs, they're not fighting fires in the -- in comparison of the cost of lives, homes, and communities that have been lost in these fires. Those NGOs. There's no comparison, dollar for that are. You have to have leadership that prioritizes the safety and the well-being of the citizens, over their political jeopardize.

And that's not happening in Los Angeles. Okay?

It wasn't happening in Lahaina either. Same goes for the environmental policies. Progressive leaders block sensible forest management practices. Because they're more concerned about pleasing activists, than protecting lives. They're more concerned about the dead trees in the forest, than they are about the live animals who live in that forest!

It's not compassionate. It's dangerous.

Now, Mercury One, we help everybody. I don't care where you come from. I don't care who you voted for.

We are there to you. But we're also in North Carolina, and other areas, reeling from the hurricanes.

We're also still in Lahaina. And no one is talking about those guys. And they will be out of a home for years!

They're not the celebrity influencers who can afford to stay in a luxury hotel.

God and the universe for those in California, require us to do everything we can to help our neighbor.

But help ourselves, before we expect others.

RADIO

DEBUNKED: Media Says Trump May Take Panama Canal & Greenland by FORCE

Donald Trump is making some big – and unusual – promises before taking office for the second time. Trump has said he will rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”. He has suggested that Canada should become the 51st state. He said he wants to buy Greenland. And he also wants the Panama Canal back. But recently, the media used a loaded question to make it sound like Trump isn’t ruling out a military invasion of the Panama Canal and Greenland. Glenn debunks the media’s lie and explains what he believes Trump is really doing: Is this imperialism? Or is it “The Art of the Deal”?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Okay. So let me -- let's start with Greenland. Shall we?

Green land, Panama, and Canada.

I -- I have to tell you, well, let's start with his -- Donald Trump's press conference yesterday.

They are always fun.

Cut one.

This is a green landman.

VOICE: So if you could tell Trump anything, what would it be?

VOICE: Buy green land.

VOICE: Why do you Trump to buy green land?

VOICE: We don't want to be colonized by the Danish colony anymore. We get taken our minerals, from Greenland. We are the richest nation in the world, and we don't get to use it. Denmark is using us too much.

VOICE: Do you like America?

VOICE: I love America.

GLENN: Right. Okay. So stop. So here's the thing. Greenland. They've got like 12 people. And Denmark owns it.

And they have no intention of giving it up.

But it's like Alaska. I mean, it is rich with rare earth minerals. As he said, it's the richest nation in the world. But Denmark won't let anything be explored. It is also a strategic place for bases, et cetera, et cetera.

It would -- there's been like four or five presidents that have tried to buy green land in the past. And it's never been done. I will get to why all of this makes sense here, in a second. And how you're supposed to read it.

Because he also went in, yesterday, about Canada and they asked him, would you rule -- would you rule out military strikes to take Alaska?

Here's his response.

VOICE: You're considering military force to acquire Panama and Greenland. Are you also considering military force to annex and acquire?

DONALD: No. Economic force. Because Canada and the United States, that would be really something. You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like. And it would also be much better for national security. Don't forget, we basically protect Canada.

GLENN: Okay. So he's just -- well, all he's doing is -- well, let me say -- let me give you the third one, and that is Panama.

Before we get to Panama, why not stop at the gulf of America? Cut three.

DONALD: Mexico is really in trouble. A lot of trouble. Very dangerous place. And we're going to be announcing a future date, pretty soon.

We're going to change. Because we do most of the work there, and it's ours. We will be changing. Sort of the opposite of Biden, where he's closing everything up, essentially getting rid of 50 trillion worth of assets.

We will be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, to the Gulf of America. Which has a beautiful ring. That covers --

STU: I love this guy.

DONALD: Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it's appropriate. And it's appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country. They can stop them.

And we're going to put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Because Canada, they come through Canada too. And the drugs that are coming through are at record numbers.

GLENN: Okay.

Okay. So now the press is freaking out. This is an imperialist president. He's trying to create new Rome. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Are you -- do you have absolutely no brain cells that work in your head, anymore?

The final one is Panama. And I've told you this. In fact, I'm doing a prediction show tonight.

And I've been telling you the last few weeks. Panama is going to be a problem for the United States.

And there is going to be -- there is going to be some serious things happening in Panama this year. And I will get into that a little later.

But he's also talking about the Panama Canal. Okay. Why is that?

Because he wants to take over all these countries. And these places. He wants war everywhere?

No. No.

The one thing you have to understand about Donald Trump is he's a negotiator. He's merely negotiating.

That's all that's happening here. You speak softly and carry a very large stick.

Hey, Mexico. By the way, you're so irrelevant.

You know, you're going down the tubes. We're even thinking about changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. That's how irrelevant you are, okay?

And you've got some serious problems. It's a very dangerous place.

Well, there goes tourism, if the president keeps saying things like that. And we will have to put some tariffs on it. But, you know.

I just think the gulf of America is just a beautiful, beautiful name. All he's doing is signaling, you -- you're a speed bump to me.

I don't -- I don't need to do anything. I've just got these giant tariffs.

And we'll probably end up owning you, anyway, because you're a failing state. Okay?

He's negotiating. He's setting the table.

On Greenland, the same thing. He's just setting the table. He is saying to Greenland, you know, I think we should take it. Now, is he serious on that one. Yes, not take it, but buy it.

Is he serious?

Yes. And it would be -- I have to use a word that the New York Times has been talking about for a long time. They just used it in a different context.

It would be a huge coup, if Donald Trump could buy Greenland. It would be huge for America.

All the rare earth minerals, and everything else. All the riches of green land. And the strategic placement of Greenland would be a very, very smart move. Again, New York Times. Glenn Beck did say Donald Trump would pull off a coup. I mean it in a different context than you worry about.

That is smart! And if we could buy it, great!

If we could just negotiate to have some bases there and to be able to sell and buy some of their rare earth minerals, that would be very smart and strategic!

Now, Canada, okay. Canada is -- Canada. Being the 51st state. Okay.

Would it be great to have all of us combined?

Greenland. Canada. The United States, combined?

Yes. A 51st state? No. No.

Canada responded with, well, maybe we'll buy Alaska and Minnesota. All right. Let's open up those talks.

How much for Alaska? I'm willing to negotiate.

And I tell you what, negotiate for Alaska, I would give you Minnesota for a sandwich.

So I'm good. All he's doing there, is, again, throwing out a big idea. Negotiating, because you're not paying for your own defense.

We're paying for your defense.

What are we getting in -- in -- in return?

Well, right now, we're getting open borders from you, and Canada.

And we're getting a lot of crap from you too. So we're still friends. We still like Canada.

We're not going to take military action, to take Canada. It's not what he's doing. He is, again, negotiating. If you forget, that Donald Trump is possibly the greatest negotiator to be in our lifetime, you might begin to understand what he's doing here. But if you forget that he's a deal maker, that's what he does, walks in and says, you know what, I will vaporize that little dude over. And then they end up having tea in a Communist country!

That's negotiation. What is he doing with Russia? What is he doing right now? The only place I think he's absolutely clear. I mean, he doesn't -- he doesn't make threats.

He makes promises. And he's not threatening anything, but Panama, which we'll get into here in just a second.

Panama is a problem. A real problem.

And we need to talk about that. The other real problem is Hamas. And yesterday, he said about Hamas. That there's going to be hell to be paid.

Hamas doesn't release those hostages. The gates of hell are going to open up. And I believe him.

The -- the thing is, with a negotiator, you have to be able to see -- I mean, Trump always kind of means things. He's the -- you don't win. You don't become a good negotiator, if the people on the other side, always think you're bluffing, because you always are.

That's why America is in the Dumpster fire we're in right now. Because the rest of the world, just thinks that, you know, oh. You know what, well, don't do this.

Or we will give you a strongly worded letter. If the world or anybody sitting across the negotiating table from you, whether this is in your life or global politics, if they believe you're someone who will do what they say, you have all the negotiating power.

Because, you know what, I -- I would love to work here. But I can't work here. And I won't work here, unless these things happen.

He's just negotiating. Really? Watch me walk out, and I will. And no offense. No problems. I don't hate you. You shouldn't hate me.

I'm not trying to hold a gun to your head. I'm just saying, I can do better. And these things are a requirement for me.

When Donald Trump says, look, you're going to have to close the border.

He means that. Now, when he says, we also will -- you know what, we might just annex Mexico or Canada.

That's part of the negotiation process. Because honestly, he just might do it! This is the kind of president we've always wanted, one that is a hard negotiator on our side! On our side!

When he says, America first, he means it.

Which brings me back to Panama. When you understand Panama, you'll understand Donald Trump entirely. And you will look at Donald Trump in a completely different way.

GLENN: All right.

Panama. We know of Panama Canal as the place that we built.

It was the biggest undertaking. It was probably the biggest human achievement, at the time. Making the canal, so you didn't have to go all the way down, to South America, to the tip of South America.

Almost to Antarctica. And come back to get to the -- to get to the Pacific Ocean. Or to get to the Atlantic, if you're going the other direction.

We made the Panama Canal. Teddy Roosevelt was the one who did it. Jimmy Carter sold it to Panama for a dollar.

Now, when you make a deal like that, you don't expect to be screwed after his. You know, you kind of have, hey, favored nation.

You know, you will be our pal. Well, Panama has been palling up with China.

And the president of Panama had just said with be there are -- there are no Chinese, at the canal. Nobody is -- no. No. There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal.

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

So Donald Trump, on Christmas, sent a message, again, negotiating, letting everyone know where he stands. Merry Christmas to all.

Including the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally operating the Panama Canal.

Now, if you don't know anything about the Panama Canal. You might think this is crazy. This is -- this shows how much homework Donald Trump has done. This shows -- this is the first time I have seen since maybe Reagan, where we are actually talking about our national security.

Not in a reactive way. We have now a president who is looking at real national -- our national security is not in Ukraine!

Our national security is here at the home front.

And why -- why is he so obsessed with Panama?

It's just not that we're having our eyes pushed into our his and being gouged.

It is also because China has -- has purchased a lot of the Panama Canal operating permits.

So, in other words, the -- the one that is the last, I think lock.

I don't know enough about it.

But the last area of the Panama Canal. Going into the Pacific. It's now run by a Chinese company.

Now, is that honestly Chinese soldiers?

No!

No.

But it is the People's Liberation Army, that can take over that business because that's the deal.

Do you really think all of these investors just got together, on their own. Which doesn't happen in China.

And went, you know what, we should buy up all the land surrounding the Panama Canal? It would be a good idea. But good investment for us. No!

STU: And, Glenn, clarification on that. We were okay with Hong Kong taking it over. Not China. It was before that transition happened. So we were like, okay. Hong Kong, we're working with them all the time.

Okay. And then China basically takes over Hong Kong.

And now China has it.

We weren't okay with China having that, even back then.

GLENN: Yeah. You cannot have -- this is a huge strategic asset.

If our fleet. Our Atlantic fleet needs to get over to the other side, and into the Pacific, you want them to get there as quickly as possible. And that's why we build the Panama Canal.

This is a Cuban missile crisis moment. And this is -- honestly, it might even go back to JFK. To where you have a president, who is forward thinking enough, to go, this is a real threat to our national curate.

And an actual threat to our national security.

All they have to do is close the Panama Canal. Or cause trouble at the Panama Canal. And the United States is in real, real trouble.

So the one that you should pay attention to, that is actually trouble, is the Panama Canal.

The rest of it, negotiation.

Glenn's Show Prep

We are entering a new dark age: Fake subjects are taking over media and academia

This Economics Professor Thinks College Is Useless

LA Mayor's Ties to VIOLENT RADICALS Exposed After California Fires

Transcript

Glenn's 10 Most INSANE 2025 Predictions: AI Takeover, China War & Diddy Downfall | Glenn TV | Ep 403

The BIGGEST LESSON From the California Wildfires

Transcript

DEBUNKED: Media Says Trump May Take Panama Canal & Greenland by FORCE

Transcript