Glenn: Are America's best days over or can history be defied?

August 23, 2012

Writer

On today's radio show, Glenn took the opening moments of the show to look at the direction of the country and to elaborate on his recent cautious optimism. He spoke broadly about the historical cycle that countries go through - from nothing to greatness and back to nothing - before explaining why he thinks America could take a different course. Why does he think Americans can defy history and return to greatness? It has nothing to do with the government and everything to do with people.

"I want to talk to you a little bit about your faith in the country. What is it that you believe in? Who are we as a nation, as people? Where are we headed? Why do you believe that America's better days are ahead of us, or do you?" Glenn asked the audience.

"You know, there's survey after survey that is showing now that Americans believe that things are not going to get better, that our better days are behind us. I'm tired of that lie."

Glenn explained that when looking at the past successes and failures of America, it's important to recognize that people today cannot take the blame or credit for things that didn't happen in their lifetime.

"It's not my fault about slavery, it's not my fault on what happened to the Native American, it's not my fault what happened to the Jews. However, if those things happen again in my lifetime, it is my fault. I can't take the credit for stopping the Nazis. I can't take the credit for the Industrial Revolution. That was all accomplished by somebody else at a different time. We can't really even take credit for freedom in America, but we will take the blame for its loss," he explained.

"So we have to decide: Is America over? Are our best days behind us? Is there any reason to believe that we can pull this thing out?"

Glenn explained that in the history of the world, most great civilizations have all inevitably risen, only to be erased from history.

"Every country has always hit this point, declined, and erased. Every time. However, no other country has ever given the world the light bulb, the washing machine, the television, the radio, the Apple iPod, iPad, the telephone. No other country has ever done what we've done. No other country went to the moon. We did."

"Past performance does not guarantee future success, but past performance should give you an idea of who we are when we set our mind to it. So who are we? What do we choose to do?"

"I'm telling you, right around the corner, just over the horizon, a cure for cancer is here. A cure for cancer. I know three cancer institutes that I think are very close, and I don't mean some cancer. I mean all cancer. It's close. If you talk to people like Ray Kurzweil, he's a futurist, he'll tell you now don't buy think solar panels. Buy solar panels in about ten years because solar panels will change the way we have energy. We're approaching the point of singularity. Now, that can either be horribly, horribly wrong and bad, or it can be unbelievably magnificent. But it won't be the technology that decides this, the point of singularity, when everything just starts to work. It won't be technology that decides whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. It will be people. And right now we have chosen to go down an easy path, but nothing worth anything comes easy. Nothing. "

"The only things that are worth anything in life are the ones that you really sweat over because that's where you stretch your muscles. That's where you grow. Nobody is asking you to reach anymore. They will bail you out. There's no struggle. Struggle should be gone. No pain, no gain. There's a lot of pain that is coming. There is. We'll show you some stats today on just the price of bread. Wheat bread's up 56%. They'll tell you that there's no problem with inflation, but try to make a sandwich for the same price that you did two years ago. There's no way. You'll pay 40% more just in the ingredients of that sandwich. And things are going to get worse. Do you see how many people are buying gold now? Russia just put a whole bunch more money into gold. China did the same thing. People are preparing."

"Now let me ask you a question: Is your state preparing?" Glenn asked the audience.

"I came to Texas for a reason because the people here not just are well armed and will defend a republic. More importantly, I came here because the people here are good and decent, God‑fearing, they still will help their neighbor. And they'll still allow you to be free to create in Texas. Texas is preparing. Whether even Texans know it or not. Several states are. Do your own homework. Find out. What is your state doing? Does your state even have its assets? If your state has any gold, is it in your state, or is it sitting in the bank at the basement of the vaults of the Federal Reserve in New York City? If there's a problem, does your state get that money from the Federal Reserve? See, everybody trusted the Federal Reserve, "Yeah, you just keep it because it will be safe there. Texas moved their gold, or at least the University ofTexas moved their gold to Texas. They said we want it all. They're guarding it themselves. How many states have done that? Has any state done that?"

"We used to have ‑‑ I have in my office some civil defense signs, the fallout shelters from the early Fifties, Sixties, and early Seventies. I have a Geiger counter that was made in the 1960s right out of ‑‑ brand‑new out of a box. It was sitting in some fallout shelter. The federal government prepared us before. The federal government made sure that we had food. Does your state have food? Because if there is, God forbid, a breakdown in the banking system, I've told you to be prepared. But if you look at that survey that came out a couple of days ago, he we told you where the most charitable people are, you'll see sections of the country. For instance, the Northeast, the least charitable area of the country and some of the greatest wealth of the country is in the Northeast. They don't understand charity anymore. Their charity are taxes. That's why taxes are so high. Because they're not going to church anymore, they are not linking arms with their charities and their churches and their neighborhoods. They're paying taxes. That's the way they understand charity."

"So if the federal government and the state government can no longer provide, what happens to that society? They get angry. What happens to the society that can't make it? What happens to that society? Well, depends on where you live.

"Let me tell you about a story that we found in Kansas. The farmers are experiencing a drought. In Kansas there was a summit where they talked about what was happening to them. I sent a reporter out from The Blaze. There's a new story up that you have to read. It is inspiring. I didn't want to find the bad stories of the drought. Everybody knows. Prices are going to go up."

"There was a story this week where there are farmers actually feeding cows out‑of‑date candy because it has some nutrition, nutritional value. They can't afford to feed the cattle. The drought is off the charts bad."

"I instructed our reporter from The Blaze to go there, to find the story of the real people of the drought. He went to Oklahoma, went to Kansas. I talked to farmers. His solution ‑‑ they asked for Americans to help. The solution that he found was universal: Please pray for rain. Please pray for us. That's the only thing we need: Prayers for rain. See, the people in these states, they have faith and that's why some of these states are the highest in giving. Because the people are still connected to one another. They're still connected to the neighborhoods. They're still connected to their neighbors. They're still connected to their family and to their God and to their church. And that's why at this summit when they were talking about what was happening to them, the drought is worse than it's been in half a century, water is extraordinarily valuable and scarce, and in Kansas they've set things up between senior farmers and junior farmers. Senior farmers have direct access to the irrigation system, and they take what they want. The junior farmers get what's left. And usually there's enough to go around for everybody. They just take it off the top and then whatever's left goes to the junior farmers, but now there's not even enough water in Kansas to be able to grow a full crop for the senior farmers and that would kill everything for the junior farmers."

"But here's what they've done: Without any regulation, without any state or federal enforcement, without anybody coming and making grand speeches, without Congress passing a single bill, the senior farmers who have access to all of the water decided to give the junior farmers enough water to get a crop. The senior farmers are already getting very little profit because of the reduced water supply. This agreement means they are going to get even less. Some of them will go out of business. But they still realize that they are neighbors. They still have enough American decency in themselves. They know they have to live together. They know they're in this together. It's still the greatest American generation. It's people like these farmers in Kansas that are still willing to help each other without being told what to do. They don't need to be hold."

"I found this out firsthand. I have a farm. It's in the Mountain West. There's something about driving a truck. My wife just said to me last night, she said, I've got to get the car cleaned. It's just driving me crazy, there's so much dust on it. She ‑‑ at the farm she said that for about the first week. There's to way to get it clean. It will never be clean. There's nothing that's clean, especially when there's no rain. It's dusty. Everything is dusty. Your clothes, your ‑‑ everything. But there's something about the soil. There is something about being rooted in the American soil that just makes everything real. It roots you. And you start thinking about the person whose dust is blowing now in your house. It's from their farm. And you realize, we are not alone. How is the neighbor doing? We're in this together and we're going to succeed, if we always remember who we are. We always remember that we are in this together, that we don't hate each other, whether you're a senior farmer or a senior farmer. We're in this together. And so we'll make it through the droughts, we'll make it through the tough times because that's what Americans do. And then when it begins to rain again, Americans will grow crops better and more plentiful than anybody on Earth. Because that's what we do when it rains."

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

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picking up his torch

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two turning points, decades apart

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

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

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

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

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

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

A time for courage

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

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

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Muhammad to Marx

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

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

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

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

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

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

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

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glenn's Show Prep