Buck Sexton talks to Glenn live from the Middle East

This week, Buck Sexton, National Security Editor at TheBlaze and co-host of Real News, has been traveling through the center of the bloodiest conflict on the globe, near the Jordanian/Syrian border. On radio this morning, Buck called in from Cairo, Egypt to explain how bad the refugee camps are, what the outlook is, and what locals on the ground have to say about America.

To start, Buck explained the situation in Egypt and the welcome (or lack there of) he has received in the country. “I was in Tahrir [Square] just until a few minutes ago. I stepped away from it so I could get on a phone line where you'd actually be able to hear me. And also as you can expect, they don't particularly like people who look like they may be Western journalists walking around them with cellphones, cellphone cameras, et cetera,” he explained. “They were very testy when I just spoke to them before. The whole city right now, Glenn, and this is in Cairo… the whole city's on edge because of the one year anniversary of Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi taking power. There are huge demonstrations going right now… And people are very worried, there's a serious possibility, even by Cairo standards, for things to get out of control and there to be real violence.”

The mainstream media has painted the uprisings in Egypt and the Arab Spring more generally as a revolutionary, pro-democracy movement that Americans should enthusiastically support. As it turns out, the Arab Spring set the Middle East on fire, and now it seems those living in the region have found a scapegoat: the United States.

“I thought there was a very Jeffersonian revolution. I heard that from Bill Kristol,” Glenn joked. “I thought this was going to be really a good thing.”

“Well, you'll be happy to know, Glenn, that the Egyptians have already come up with a very plausible explanation for all this, which is that it's America's fault,” Buck said. And I've been told this now many times. So it's not that they messed up the revolution. It's that somehow we messed up the revolution… But on top of that… the economy here is in such rough shape right now. I feel bad for these shopkeepers and these other guys who are trying to make a living for their families from tourism, but you know what? I mean, when the Muslim Brotherhood's running things and people are scared, they tend not to want to spend their vacation time, their vacation money worried as to whether they are going to get caught in a protest and catch a little teargas in the face.”

Buck explained that, at this point, many in the country are just looking for someone to blame, and America is an easy target. One of the explanations Buck has heard involves the United States orchestrating the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise to power and ruining the revolution.

In addition to being in Egypt, Buck visited Syrian refugee camps to better understand the breadth of the situation on the ground. What he found was staggering.

“I spent an entire day with the refugees yesterday in Zaatari, which is the camp. It's only a few miles from the Syrian border. The nearest town gets hit with errant shells from Assad's artillery,” Buck said. “And the stories, there are two things that really came out of my discussions there. One of them is just the level of violence and viciousness and evil that is going on in this conflict is well beyond what I think most people understand. People were absolutely terrified that I was going to take their photograph because they're worried about repercussions either for themselves or their families if they try to go back or anyone who's still there. They were worried about me taking a photo, Glenn, that had water bottles in it. Now, I said why is that a concern? You know, I was taking a photo of something and they said that recently some Assad troops found a family of five that had just come sort of across the border and they said, oh, those water bottles, those must have come from the refugee camp. They lay them all down, they executed them all on the spot, including three small children. So the viciousness is impossible to overstate.”

You could liken the situation to ethnic cleansing, but, as Buck explained, the situation is more like human cleansing.

“They are killing everybody they think is opposed to them,” he said. “And then, of course, you've got the guys with the beards in the camp who are clearly, shall we say not of the Jeffersonian model, and perhaps very obviously of the fundamentalist and even pro jihadist model. They wouldn't speak to me. They eyed me very warily and quite honestly there are a lot of fights and there have been some violence in the camp. So I had to watch out for that. They see me as the enemy. They made that very clear.”

So what are the Syrian opposition forces looking for?

“But they want guns. They don't want a no fly zone. They want guns. They want us to arm them. They want us to let them finish the job. They were very clear on that as well,” Buck said.

With the Obama administration publically proclaiming that the red line has been crossed and they are preparing to take action in Syria, the mindset seems to be that the U.S. can somehow swoop in and end the fighting. But that is simply not the case.

“No one is prepared for what's coming. There are so many more refugees, so much more violence. This thing is far from over,” Buck explained. “And the notion that we could end it, even if you wanted to, is kind of a fantasy. So it was eye opening. And these people are living in absolute squalor, by the way. I mean, the international community, forget the fact they can't stop the fight in Syria. They should be completely ashamed of themselves. They say this is what they're supposed to be able to do is feed starving children, and they are not doing a very good job.”

The last few days, Glenn has been open with his predictions that World War III may very well be on the horizon. And with border fights in the Middle East continuing and and international support varied, it seems difficult to avoid a global-scaled conflict.

“I don't think we can avoid a broader conflict really in the Middle East,” Buck said. “Look, you've already got Lebanon for all intents and purposes involved in this. Hezbollah has thrown their lot in. The Russians are backing Assad to the hilt. The fact that they will back this regime tells you all you need to know about the character of the Russian government or its complete lack of character. It's disgraceful. The Iranians have gone in… full force on this issue. And the international community's so slow to get involved.”

“But Glenn, I mean, this is the other side of it. I'm giving you evils of the Assad regime, right? I was staring into the eyes of small children yesterday who, one kid looked at me, we were kicking around a soccer ball, and he said, ‘They murdered my mother, they assassinated my brother, but my father is fighting for the Free Syrian Army, so everything will be okay.’ All right. That's one side of this,” he continued. “The other side are the people that I spoke to in Jordan who are in contact with, know the resistance well, have been up and back across the border. They say that when it comes to the real fighting against the Syrian regime, against Assad forces, 80% of the major combat effectiveness, not the numbers of people but the combat effectiveness comes from the jihadists, the hardliners, the guys who as soon as they can take control of Syria want to start raining hellfire into Israel right next door. The Israelis know this. That's why everybody's on edge.”

Ultimately, there is no easy answer.

“Other than I wish these kids that I saw in the camp had food and were living in tents that were 120 degrees in the middle of the desert, I don't know what the answer is,” Buck said. “You got two sides, we can't trust either one, and if this thing goes cross border, and it very well could, into Turkey, into Jordan, you name it, no one knows. How do they stop the violence? I don't know.”

As much as the people in the Middle East blame America and have written off the U.S. because of the Obama administration’s incompetence, Glenn believes it will be a small group of strong-willed individuals who will first save this country and then save the world.

“If we have any chance of saving this country and the planet and man's freedom, it will come from a small group of people, and I believe it will come from the people who have brushed across this audience,” Glenn said. “Love is the answer. Peace, peaceful resistance. Standing in the fire of God. Because when everything else is burning, there's only one thing that won't. It will just become more pure. And if we're not in that space, we will lose and the whole world will go the way of Europe. And strong men will return. Whether they're religious strong men or just brutal thugs, strong men will return. It can't happen here. Can't. We're the only hope the world has.”

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

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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.

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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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you think the Gen Z support for Trump is an opportunity for conservatives to win them over with anti-establishment reforms that preserve liberty?

Americans expose Supreme Court’s flag ruling as a failed relic

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In a nation where the Stars and Stripes symbolize the blood-soaked sacrifices of our heroes, President Trump's executive order to crack down on flag desecration amid violent protests has ignited fierce debate. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough question: Can Trump protect the Flag without TRAMPLING free speech? Glenn asked, and you answered—thousands weighed in on this pressing clash between free speech and sacred symbols.

The results paint a picture of resounding distrust toward institutional leniency. A staggering 85% of respondents support banning the burning of American flags when it incites violence or disturbs the peace, a bold rejection of the chaos we've seen from George Floyd riots to pro-Palestinian torchings. Meanwhile, 90% insist that protections for burning other flags—like Pride or foreign banners—should not be treated the same as Old Glory under the First Amendment, exposing the hypocrisy in equating our nation's emblem with fleeting symbols. And 82% believe the Supreme Court's Texas v. Johnson ruling, shielding flag burning as "symbolic speech," should not stand without revision—can the official story survive such resounding doubt from everyday Americans weary of government inaction?

Your verdict sends a thunderous message: In this divided era, the flag demands defense against those who exploit freedoms to sow disorder, without trampling the liberties it represents. It's a catastrophic failure of the establishment to ignore this groundswell.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Labor Day EXPOSED: The Marxist roots you weren’t told about

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During your time off this holiday, remember the man who started it: Peter J. McGuire, a racist Marxist who co-founded America’s first socialist party.

Labor Day didn’t begin as a noble tribute to American workers. It began as a negotiation with ideological terrorists.

In the late 1800s, factory and mine conditions were brutal. Workers endured 12-to-15-hour days, often seven days a week, in filthy, dangerous environments. Wages were low, injuries went uncompensated, and benefits didn’t exist. Out of desperation, Americans turned to labor unions. Basic protections had to be fought for because none were guaranteed.

Labor Day wasn’t born out of gratitude. It was a political payoff to Marxist radicals who set trains ablaze and threatened national stability.

That era marked a seismic shift — much like today. The Industrial Revolution, like our current digital and political upheaval, left millions behind. And wherever people get left behind, Marxists see an opening.

A revolutionary wedge

This was Marxism’s moment.

Economic suffering created fertile ground for revolutionary agitation. Marxists, socialists, and anarchists stepped in to stoke class resentment. Their goal was to turn the downtrodden into a revolutionary class, tear down the existing system, and redistribute wealth by force.

Among the most influential agitators was Peter J. McGuire, a devout Irish Marxist from New York. In 1874, he co-founded the Social Democratic Workingmens Party of North America, the first Marxist political party in the United States. He was also a vice president of the American Federation of Labor, which would become the most powerful union in America.

McGuire’s mission wasn’t hidden. He wanted to transform the U.S. into a socialist nation through labor unions.

That mission soon found a useful symbol.

In the 1880s, labor leaders in Toronto invited McGuire to attend their annual labor festival. Inspired, he returned to New York and launched a similar parade on Sept. 5 — chosen because it fell halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.

The first parade drew over 30,000 marchers who skipped work to hear speeches about eight-hour workdays and the alleged promise of Marxism. The parade caught on across the country.

Negotiating with radicals

By 1894, Labor Day had been adopted by 30 states. But the federal government had yet to make it a national holiday. A major strike changed everything.

In Pullman, Illinois, home of the Pullman railroad car company, tensions exploded. The economy tanked. George Pullman laid off hundreds of workers and slashed wages for those who remained — yet refused to lower the rent on company-owned homes.

That injustice opened the door for Marxist agitators to mobilize.

Sympathetic railroad workers joined the strike. Riots broke out. Hundreds of railcars were torched. Mail service was disrupted. The nation’s rail system ground to a halt.

President Grover Cleveland — under pressure in a midterm election year — panicked. He sent 12,000 federal troops to Chicago. Two strikers were killed in the resulting clashes.

With the crisis spiraling and Democrats desperate to avoid political fallout, Cleveland struck a deal. Within six days of breaking the strike, Congress rushed through legislation making Labor Day a federal holiday.

It was the first of many concessions Democrats would make to organized labor in exchange for political power.

What we really celebrated

Labor Day wasn’t born out of gratitude. It was a political payoff to Marxist radicals who set trains ablaze and threatened national stability.

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What we celebrated was a Canadian idea, brought to America by the founder of the American Socialist Party, endorsed by racially exclusionary unions, and made law by a president and Congress eager to save face.

It was the first of many bones thrown by the Democratic Party to union power brokers. And it marked the beginning of a long, costly compromise with ideologues who wanted to dismantle the American way of life — from the inside out.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.