The Oval: The Global Freedom Movement

July 25, 2012

Wilson

Writer

Good afternoon.

Across the globe,

People marvel at America.

They see the elections we have…

The public debate…

Over who gets to sit at this desk…

And they marvel!

How is it possible, they say…

To criticize someone with so much power!

In public…

And not go to jail?

Not suffer?

They look to America.

They see our political arguments….

Our freedom of speech…

Our many civic organizations…

Our volunteer culture…

Our sense that anything is possible...

And they conclude:

“We want to be Americans, too!”

So…

They dress like Americans…

Listen to American music…

And adopt American technology,

And they think…

This will give us American freedom, too!

So in Africa…

In Europe…

In Asia…

In the Middle East…

When they want political revolution…

Political freedom….

They try to adopt our culture…

They try to launch a revolution of their own.

They imitate what they see.

The latest in our culture…

The same hair…fashion…

And technology.

They are quick to use Facebook…

Or Twitter…

To organize… to rebel.

And that’s fine.

But does it work?

We have seen...

That the rebellions and so-called Arab Spring…

Which began in technology…

…Ended in chaos.

And repression.

In Egypt, we were told that….

The kids in the street…

Could tweet themselves to a liberal democracy!

That they could use Facebook…

…to beat back the generals and the mullahs!

You may remember the photos…

Of the university kids…

With their western clothes…

And their fancy computers…

Pushing a revolution through the digital universe.

But in Cairo’s Tahir Square.

They were getting crushed…

By camels and wooden clubs…

And now…

The kids are in fear for their lives…

The generals they fought can’t protect them.

From the mullahs.

The western garb is going away…

Here comes the hijab… and the burka.

In the end, those who ended out on top….

Who hold power…

Who will run Egypt now…

They don’t use Twitter.

They don’t friend people on Facebook.

They do things old-school.

They rely on a technology…

…that is far more effective.

Far more durable.

It’s called the sword…

Fear is their technology.

Fear. Intimidation. Threats.

And if necessary…

Far worse.

The mullahs of the Muslim Brotherhood…

Had something else.

They had a sense of history…

They could draw on something deep.

They knew what runs in the veins of every Egyptian…

A longing…

Not for the West…

Not for technology…

But for national pride.

Egypt is a nation that has lost every war in the last century…

A nation with an economy that has drifted to dependency…

And so the Muslim Brotherhood had a simple message:

And you will feel pride again.

And if you don’t follow us…

There is the sword.

And the Muslim Brotherhood understands something…

…that all the techno-savvy kids don’t.

If you want to win people over…

You meet them where they live…

Where they work….

Where they pray.

If you want to start a revolution…

You don’t do it in 140 characters.

You do it with big ideas.

With history.

We forget this sometimes.

We forget, in this age of digital media,

That in the end…

The ideas that win the day…

Aren’t necessarily clever…

Or funny…

Or accompanied by a youtube video of a barking cat.

The ideas that win the day…

Are those delivered…

Steadily…

One by one by one…

Until everyone hears it.

You don’t do it with sizzle.

You do it with steak.

The fanciest technology…

Won’t save you…

If you don’t have ideas behind you.

If you don’t have history behind you.

Now:

Why is this on my mind?

Because I’ve been approached…

By people in Italy…

Denmark… England…

[Other nations here]

And they ask me all the time:

“Glenn, how do we build a tea party?”

They want their own tea party.

But here’s the thing…

They can’t have a tea party movement…

Unless they know why we chose the term “tea party”…

And they don’t!

They think we get together and drink tea!

They don’t understand what the first tea party was!

They have no appreciation for what that term means…

When Americans say ‘Let’s have a tea party’…

We’re not talking about drinking tea on fancy saucers!

We’re talking about a revolution against tyranny…

But if you don’t know American history…

You won’t know that.

And so I always urge our friends…

The friends in Freepac…the global freedom movement…

Find your own tea party tradition…

It exists…

It may not be as dramatic as our tea party…

But in the heart of every man and woman …

There beats a desire for freedom.

Everyone has it inside them.

In every nation,

There is a natural hatred of tyranny…

A natural dislike for concentrated power.

And it is the goal of Freepac to bring it out.

But there are no shortcuts.

No easy paths.

You can’t just start a Facebook page…

…And expect it to blossom.

You can’t tweet yourself to freedom!

You have to do real work.

And here is what real work looks like…

You call a meeting…

At a local restaurant…

And you invite all your friends…

And you see who comes.

If you only have three people say yes…

You try to get a fourth.

If you have 20…

You try to get to 25.

If you have 50…

Go for 60.

Get ready to argue about your goals…

And get ready to use more than 140 characters…

Because if you want freedom,

You’ll have to be more than clever…

You’ll have to be more than tech-savvy.

You’ll have to be smart.

And energetic.

And if you’re doing this in Europe…

Or Africa…

Or Asia…

You can’t call it a tea party.

You’ll have to find your own historical touchstones.

You have to be authentic.

You have to be substantive.

This Saturday night…

We will meet, you and I,

For a rally to Restore Love.

And if you’re not from America…

Steeped in American history…

You hear that phrase “restore love”…

And you wonder:

Is this about giving out hugs and kisses?

Because you may not know…

What the word “love” means…

…To Americans.

It’s a deeper meaning.

And it can’t be summarized in 140 characters.

In America,

Love is about charity.

Love is about service.

Love is about the work of our hearts.

And in America,

Our goal is to restore love,

To reclaim it.

Because all too often,

Those in power tell us not to love,

Not to do the work of our hearts.

Just pay our taxes, and let them worry about helping our fellow man.

So this weekend,

We are going to remind ourselves,

Why we must do this work ourselves.

It is an urgent issue for us.

Vital.

Because if we can’t do the work of our hearts…

We are not free.

I’m not saying that in other nations,

Our brothers in the freedom movement…

…Need to do the same thing.

I’m not sure.

Because I don’t know.

That’s up to them…

…to find out.

A global movement of freedom…

…doesn’t come in one flavor.

Doesn’t depend on one model of success.

So, to my friends in other nations…

…Who are looking to build their own tea party movement…

I have a simple message.

Don’t be distracted by technology…

Don’t be distracted by the accessories of freedom.

Don’t be distracted by the American model.

The three-cornered hat is not for you.

The tea party, we’ll keep that.

Find your own touchstones.

Discover your own history.

Everything you need…

…you’ll find where you live.

Your history will point you to freedom.

Your ideas will win the day.

No shortcuts.

Know this:

Hard work lies ahead.

If you don’t do the hard work,

The results won’t last.

We are seeing that today in America.

We sometimes take for granted…

…The freedoms we enjoy.

And those who want to take away that freedom…

…They count on us to relax our guard….

…To take the shortcuts…

To just post a few videos on Facebook.

And let it go at that.

But winning freedom took blood…

And keeping freedom takes commitment.

Freedom is like the heart.

It’s a muscle.

And if we don’t use it…

Exercise it…

Push it to the limit every so often…

It gets weak.

It doesn’t work as well.

And eventually, it gives out.

When Benjamin Franklin walked out of the Constitutional Convention….

Someone said to him:

“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”

And Ben Franklin said:

“A republic. If you can keep it.”

So my message to my friends from foreign lands…

Is the same as my message to Americans.

Securing freedom is the work of every generation.

And if you do the hard work,

The results will last.

And the freedom you win…

Will belong to you…

Forever.

Thanks for watching….

Inside President Trump's EXCLUSIVE inauguration balls

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

Inauguration Monday was a busy day for President Trump, and it didn't stop after his inauguration address either. President Trump partied across D.C. long into the night.

Exclusive balls are a D.C. tradition on inauguration night, hosting many of the nation's most influential people. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared at three of the most prestigious balls: the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball.

These parties had star-studded guest lists that included celebrities, musicians, politicians, and many more. Here is a peek into the exclusive inaugural balls:

Commander-in-Chief Ball

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Trump's first stop was at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, an event dedicated to the armed forces that defend our nation. The event included a dance where Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance joined the President and First Lady on stage and a performance from the country music band Rascal Flatts and country singer Parker McCollum. President Trump also spoke to U.S. service members stationed in South Korea on a video call and cut a cake shaped like Air Force One with a sword.

Several people of note were in attendance, including Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and actor Jon Voight. Musician and avid Trump supporter Kid Rock was also in attendance along with country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.

Liberty Ball

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Trump's second stop of the night was at the Liberty Ball, an event thrown for all of Trump's loyal supporters. The event had a magnificent lineup of musicians, including country singer Jason Aldean and rapper Nelly. There was even a live performance of Trump's iconic campaign song, "YMCA" by Village People.

Also in attendance were President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, who appeared on stage with her father.

Starlight Ball

JIM WATSON / Contributor | Getty Images

Wrapping up his night of celebration, President Trump visited the Starlight Ball, which was full of major donors to his campaign.

Shortly after arriving, the presidential couple and the vice presidential couple shared a dance in front of a mock White House. Later the stage featured singer Gavin DeGraw for a memorable performance. Notably, renowned podcaster and comedian Theo Von was spotted entering the event. Von is known for hosting President Trump on his podcast for an in-depth interview during his campaign, which many credit boosting Trump's popularity with the younger generation.

Top five executive orders Trump plans to sign

MORRY GASH / Contributor | Getty Images

Donald J. Trump has officially been sworn back into office, and the restoration of America begins today!

Over the weekend, President Trump gave a sneak peek into the tidal wave of executive orders he has promised to sign on day one. Judging by the nature of these orders, it appears that Trump will hit the ground running, making massive strides toward his campaign promises mere hours after being sworn in. While the scope of the 200-plus orders is wide-reaching, there is a special focus on the southern border, the energy crisis, and purging DEI policies from the federal government.

Below we have compiled a list of the top FIVE executive orders that will be on Trump's desk today:

Declare a national emergency at the border

John Moore / Staff | Getty Images

The situation on the U.S.-Mexico border has been in a state of free fall for the past four years as millions of undocumented, illegal immigrants have flooded into our nation. By declaring this crisis a national emergency, Trump will bring the needed attention to the border, as well as free his hands to act decisively.

Designate cartels as terrorist organizations

NICHOLAS ROBERTS / Stringer | Getty Images

Drug cartels are responsible for many of the most heinous crimes committed across the border. These cartels are well-organized and run illicit operations including drug and weapon smuggling and human and sex trafficking. Over the past four years, the cartels have begun to establish themselves deeper and deeper in America, as in the case of an apartment complex reportedly being taken over by a Venezuelan cartel in Aurora, Colorado. By labeling these cartels as terrorist organizations, we can begin handling them with the necessary force required to relinquish their hold on American soil.

Resume construction on the border wall

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

Shortly after taking office, President Biden halted the construction of the border wall, a project that was a staple of Trump's 2016 campaign. Over the past four years, no progress has been made on the mammoth structure designed to help secure our border—but that ends today.

Declare a national energy emergency

David McNew / Staff | Getty Images

During Trump's first term in the Oval Office, America was energy independent, a status quickly lost under Biden. By declaring an energy emergency, Trump plans to cut through miles of red tape and help America tap its bountiful natural energy sources, such as oil and gas. Under Trump, Keystone XL can resume, and new sources of oil and gas can be tapped for the first time, ending our reliance on foreign energy.

Force the federal government to recognize biological sex

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Flying in the face of the woke ideology that has been permeating the American government for years, Trump will sign an executive order that establishes a government-wide acknowledgment of the gender binary—that is, that there are only two genders, male and female. This will require all government identifications, such as passports and personnel records, to reflect biological reality and end the forced use of "preferred pronouns." It will also end taxpayer-funded transition procedures for members of the military and prisoners.

15 MLK quotes the far-left does NOT want you to read

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While members of the far-left often herald Martin Luther King Jr. as an emblem of their movement, it is ironic that many of MLK's core values and teachings are at odds with their values. On this day when we honor Martin Luther King Jr., one of America's most articulate and transformational leaders, it is important that we remember his teachings as they truly were, and not what the modern-left would like them to be. Here are 15 of MLK's most impactful quotes the far-left would like you to forget.

MLK was a firm believer in non-violent demonstration, unlike ANTIFA and many of the modern-left movements today. He also taught the motivation behind these non-violent movements should be love, not hate.

1. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So, the purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963

2. After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time – the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

3. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963

4. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

5. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

6. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. “And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.”—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

MLK believed just laws are derived from God's law alone. He defined unjust laws as those that do not treat all men equally in dignity, as God's law requires. Civil disobedience is only justified when it involves breaking an unjust law in pursuit of moral law, he taught.

7. How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963

8. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. To use the words of Martin Buber, the great Jewish philosopher, segregation substitutes an "I - it" relationship for the "I - thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963

9. We can never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal. If I lived in a Communist country today where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I believe I would openly advocate disobeying these anti-religious laws—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963

MLK did NOT hate America. On the contrary, he loved America's founding principles and fought for the equal application rights of principles and America's Judeo-Christian heritage. He was hopeful rather than hateful of the future of America and mankind.

10. So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963

11. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for the best in the American dream and the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963

12. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963

13. I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the “isness” of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal “oughtness” that forever confronts him.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

Unlike Critical Race Theory and modern leftist movement, MLK fought against applying special privileges to a particular race. Instead, MLK dreamed of both black and white people living together in love and brotherhood as equals.

14. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963

15. When this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963

Join Glenn at Donald Trump's inauguration livestream on BlazeTV

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Subscribe to BlazeTV+ today to be part of this historic event. Use the promo code Glenn47 to receive $47 off your annual subscription and gain access to this and more content from your favorite BlazeTV hosts. Don’t wait—this is your chance to witness history live with Glenn and the team as we look toward the future of America with BlazeTV!

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