Incredible Charlie Chaplin audio: The Great Dictator

Glenn opened the radio program this morning with Charlie Chaplin’s infamous final speech from the 1940 film ‘The Great Dictator’ that excoriates the principles of big government. The speech was certainly brave at the time because Americans were being sold, through FDR and others, the idea that bigger, more powerful government was the solution to their problems.

“I want to start where no show in America would ever start,” Glenn said. “A little Charlie Chaplin.”

“That's Charlie Chaplin at his best. Charlie Chaplin, at a time when the world was coming undone in 1939, films this,” Glenn said in reaction to the clip. “When no one in America really wants to face what's going on in Germany. And he mocks the dictator. He mocks Adolf Hitler. And gives perhaps one of the best speeches and one of the best film performances I have ever seen – and definitely the bravest of the day.”

That’s not to say the speech was not without its problems though.

“The only problem with this is at the very end it goes awry,” Glenn continued. “He starts to talk about progress. And its spirit is right, but you can see the touch again of the day. What's changed from the 1940's to today, we have a chance in the first time, in 110, 115 years, we have the chance to rid ourselves of this idea that fascism or fascism-light, a dictatorship, a collective that rules over every one else, is a good idea.”

In order to stay in power, progressive leaders are forced to marginalize the principles of individual liberty and freedom. These so-called leaders say those values are old-fashioned. Truth be told, they are not, and freedom has spread around the world because of the technological advances of the 20th century.

“They say we live in the past. We don't live in the past. We believe man should be free. That is an eternal principle, something that happens in the past, happens in the future, and happens in all time. Man was born to be free and follow the dictates of his own spirit. That's not an old dusty idea. That is an idea that has just become a reality for the entire world because of technology,” Glenn said. “He talks about because of radio and the motion picture, we now can be brought together. Because of radio, he says, millions can hear my voice. But he, in this speech, on freedom, he is even saying because of radio, millions can hear my voice, for the first time in human history. Millions, if not billions can hear every voice. Because of technology and the Internet, the smallest voice on the planet can be heard all around the world. And that is what they fear the most… We’re entering an age again of collectivism, and we've seen what collectivism does over and over again.”

Glenn then made a bold declaration: Don’t ever let anyone tell you the United States is over. In fact, in Glenn’s opinion, our country is not over, it has actually just begun. Why?

“For the last 110 years, no one really understood, nor did they pay attention to what was really happening. The progressives said, ‘We are communists. We agree with the communist ideals, but we don't agree with revolution. We're Americans and we don't agree with revolution.’ That was the difference… And we forgot and we didn't listen. And they wormed their way into our universities,” Glenn said. “When our own president, Woodrow Wilson said, ‘Finally, the people of Russia can truly be free,’ the world celebrated and the people who understood liberty went to sleep. They started to believe that some sort of authoritarian rule is better than true freedom.”

We may have fallen asleep, but we have now woken up. As Glenn explained, we have done our homework, and we now understand who these people are and what their end goal is. Eight years ago, under the Bush Administration, Glenn did not fully understand the scope of progressive movement and its influence. He did not realize that the Bush Administration’s policies were part of the problem. But he has woken up and so have you.

“You did your own homework,” Glenn said. “You realized, ‘Oh my gosh, everything that I thought I believed is wrong. Everything I thought I knew is wrong.’ You had courage.”

“The only things worth saying are the things that nobody will say. Those people that knew we were corrupt and we were on the wrong path. Those were the people ringing the bell. ‘You cannot do the Patriot Act because it will turn into something.’ And the rest of us were stupid. And the rest of us said, ‘No, we trust that guy.’ We were foolish,” Glenn admitted. “The United States of America, eight years ago could have been destroyed because we didn't know what it was, and we didn't know what the real disease was. We didn't know what the problem was. We didn't know how we lost liberty. We didn't even know what real liberty was. We were slaves under the state and we didn't even know it.”

The way Glenn sees it, we are on the eve of destruction – but we are also on the eve of a rebirth.

“We're on the eve of destruction. This country is about to be destroyed in this way: The progressive, utopian, collective, socialist state of America is going to be destroyed. It will be destroyed,” Glenn said. “[But] your country is about to be reborn. It's not destroyed. It's not going to look anything like it looks now. It's not.”

“It's going to be a lot of work. Our life is going to change. Our country is going to change,” he continued. “But God didn't have anyone to entrust the country to until now. It couldn't destroy itself because there weren't millions of Americans all around the country that understood where we went wrong, so they could never put it back together again,” he continued. “Don't you ever, ever, ever say things that are not true like, ‘the United States of America is over,’ because the United States of America is about to be reborn. It was over 110 years ago. We're on the verge of finding it again.”

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

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In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

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

Without civic action, America faces collapse

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Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

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We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

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

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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.

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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 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