How do you transform a nation? Nudge, shove, shoot

September 23, 2013

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There is some debate as to whether or not President Obama has provided the ‘hope and change’ he once vowed to restore, but he has followed through on at least one of his promises: the fundamental transformation of America. So how does one go about fundamentally transforming a country? According to Glenn, it involves a series of nudges, shoves, and shoots.

“The president would like to fundamentally transform the United States of America, and this is already happening. I want you to go to TheBlaze.com and see the story ‘Is this America: Parent manhandled, arrested while speaking out against Common Core in a public forum.’ It is one of the most shocking things I have seen, and we've seen a lot, but this is the push cart,” Glenn said on radio this morning. “Write this down in your diary and your kids will look at you as a prophet later. Write this down in your diary. This is a road sign. As much as the pushcart was in Tunisia where the guy set himself on fire and I said, ‘Mark this down. This is going to spiral all across the Middle East, it will destabilize it and it will lead to World War III.’ The only thing that hasn't happened yet is the World War III thing, but I believe that starts in Syria. And Syria started because of Egypt, and Egypt started because of the pushcart.”

Glenn explained that the story of the Maryland father, who was arrested after raising questions about the Common Core standards and is now being charged with second degree assault and potentially facing 10 years in prison, is a prime example of how unrecognizable this country has become.

“Now, the fundamental transformation of America and turning us into an absolute recognizable police state, I believe this little incident in Baltimore is the beginning of it,” Glenn continued. “You show me anything that is anything but shocking. Even the crowd, when it started to happen, gasped when they saw the bully this policeman was to this man. It was totally reasonable. And all he's trying to do is stand up and defend his right to a decent education. No one would expect this or accept this from the free market, no one. Only people that can get away with treatment like this are governments. And you are living in a country where maybe 200 million of your fellow citizens are cattle and sheep. I am not cattle. I am not sheep. I won't be treated as such. If this is the way America wants to live their life, you have a good time. I opt out.”

Six years ago, Glenn laid out a plan for the transformation of a nation, and it all centered around one thing: control. If you want to transform the nation, you have to control:

1. Media and Culture.

“Well, they've had that for a long time, from Hollywood, ABC, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, the music – everything is run by the left,” Glenn said.

2. Education

“They're taking that last step now to not only have control of it, they've had control of it forever. But now they no longer care what you even say,” he explained. “Common sense is completely dead. Literally two plus two can equal five, if your kid can explain it on how he got there. And if it's a pretty smart way of getting there, it's not wrong. It's not right, but it's not wrong. Excuse me? Two plus two equals four. It always does. We are literally living in 1984. They are changing the answers to math now.”

3. Banks

“Do they control the banks? You're damn right they do. You're damn right they do. Most importantly, I believe the bank controls us,” Glenn said. “The Federal Reserve. They're destroying what is in your bank. Everything that you've worked hard for, they're destroying it.”

4. Health care

“Medical, do they control it,” Glenn asked. “Not yet. If Ted Cruz has his way, not yet.”

5. Communication

“We know they control communication now. Look at who they're in bed with. The guys from Facebook and Google and everybody,” he said. “How do you think these riots and these revolutions started over in the Middle East? Through Facebook.”

6. Food and Farms

“Do they control food and farms? You talk to a farmer. You see how much they're controlling.”

7. Police and Military

“You think they have control of the police,” Glenn asked. “The Department of Homeland Security is now involved in police business, your local police business all the time. How much money has the government given to our local police so they can have military style weapons, military style tanks. These things are tanks that are driving in our streets.”

8. Jobs

“You control those things and ya got it. Well, they got em,” Glenn said. “Now, they didn't six years ago. They got em now. They had a lot of em, but they didn't have all of em. And I couldn't figure out how you could get things like the military. Well, they've done it.”

So once you gain the necessary control. how do you go about transforming?

“Now, to transform it, you have to have all those things and then you use certain things. You have to use every crisis that comes your way. That's why the president gave this speech yesterday about a transformation of America on gun laws. We need to have fundamental transformation,” Glenn explained. “He used the word ‘transformation’ on the understanding of guns and our gun laws. Then you need to use economic pressure. You want that pressure to be there so that bottom rises up. You use propaganda. Need I remind you that we just legalized propaganda being used by the government on our own people. We just made that legal. Why? Why didn't anybody say anything about it? My gosh, historians are going to rip us apart.”

“Then you use war. Because war is the big one. That's a game changer because if you can make war bad enough, everybody just wants peace in the end and they will take it in any way that they can get it,” he continued. “Then you need to redefine who the enemies are. Are you telling me that that's not happening? We all were clear who Al Qaeda is. Now we're partnering with Al Qaeda, and it's the TEA Party that is the problem. It's the people who are against Common Core that are the radicals.”

“You use behavioral scientists and you figure out with behavioral scientists how to get people to nudge them into – well, that is Cass Sunstein and this President has a team of behavioral scientists. That doesn't seem to bother America anymore. They are treating you like a lab rat,” Glenn concluded. “That's how they're treating you. That's how they look at you. And it all boils down to nudge, shove, and then shoot. First they nudge you. They put the carrots toward the front and the French Fries in the back. And then when you won't do what they ask you to do, then they just shove you. That's what happened, and this is a really big change.”

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

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 Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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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?

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