'Remember the principles not the politics': Glenn reflects on the life of Nelson Mandela

December 06, 2013

Writer

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to inclement weather in Dallas, Glenn asked his staff to stay home this today as he broadcasted his radio program from home. As a result, no video clips will be available from Friday’s radio show. You can listen to the entire radio show HERE. The story below is a recap of one the radio segments.

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Glenn opened the radio program this morning by reflecting on the life of Nelson Mandela. While Mandela is lauded as a peaceful hero of the civil rights movement, he was once a communist revolutionary. After spending 27 years in prison, Mandela had a decision to make: Would he tear a nation apart with violence or forge a different path?

“Well I want to start with Nelson Mandela today. Nelson Mandela is a guy – I couldn’t disagree with his politics more,” Glenn said. “Nelson Mandela is a guy – who before I actually went to South Africa – I don’t know if I had such a good feeling about Nelson Mandela mainly because the people he has surrounded himself with.”

Mandela counted communist revolutionaries and dictators among his friends. From Fidel Castro to Muammar Gaddafi to his own wife Winnie, the people Mandela surrounded himself with did not demonstrate the same sense of compassion and peace that he seemed to espouse. Mandela became a political icon, and it was that status that muddied the waters of who he actually was.

“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. Show me you friends, and I can tell your character. If you’re surrounded by dirt bags, you are most likely a dirt bag. Like minds attract each other,” Glenn explained. “Nelson Mandela had been so politicized… It’s like this President. You don’t know what’s true or not. You have no idea who the man really is because for political purposes they will make anybody into anything… So for many reasons I didn’t know who Nelson Mandela was.”

It was during a trip to South Africa in the summer of 2011 that Glenn’s opinion of Mandela as a person (not as a political figure) began to change.

“I got to go to South Africa, and I spent two days with a remarkable man – one of the richest men in the world and the biggest philanthropist in South Africa, but nobody knows it,” Glenn said. “I am not sure how many people know the role he played in the peace in South Africa.”

While he was in the country, Glenn got a better sense of what the situation was like on the ground. It was there he learned the choice Mandela faced.

“When Nelson Mandela went into prison he had a choice,” Glenn said. “He had the choice of becoming that angry, communist revolutionary, or still live by his communist principle but be a man of peace. I haven’t seen communists that are peaceful… except for Nelson Mandela.”

“Nelson Mandela was a man who when he was released could have torn that country apart. With just a raised fist he could have raced a nation into bloodshed,” he continued. “Nelson Mandela had a reason to be angry. Nelson Mandela had a reason to tear a country apart. Nelson Mandela had the philosophy of a revolutionary. But Nelson Mandela, in the end, got down on his bended knees in front of the opposition leader in private – literally on his knees – and said, ‘Please, please no bloodshed. Please, please for the sake of peace, let’s come together and find a way.’”

When Mandela was released from prison, he found himself in a very powerful position, and yet he chose a path few men have the courage to. He chose the peaceful path.

“I came away from South Africa with a great deal of respect for Nelson Mandela – again, not for his policies but for his principles,” Glenn explained. “Principles are something we can agree on. I have a great deal of respect for somebody who has reason to choose another path and doesn’t… NM decided to unite people. He decided he could walk away from the power. The uniting principles – those were the important things.”

There are a lot of powerful quotes attributed to Mandela, and Glenn’s personal favorite came from Mandela’s time in prison. He was known to sit and write each night after spending his days doing hard labor, and these words are now on display at the Apartheid Museum:

People tend to measure themselves by external accomplishments, but jail allows a person to focus on internal ones; such as honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, generosity and an absence of variety. You learn to look into yourself.

“I don’t want to have to go to jail to be allowed to focus on my eternal qualities and accomplishments,” Glenn said. “ I would ask if you were to take anything away from Nelson Mandela it would be this: Who are you? Why are you here? What is it you’ll be remembered for?”

“You’ll remember what that man did. And that man stood against all odds with anger as the most handy tool,” Glenn concluded. “But he reached above that bottom shelf and reached for love. He united a country. Take that from Nelson Mandela. Leave his politics behind.”

What happens if Trump wins from prison?

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If Donald Trump is sentenced to prison time, it will be the first time in American history that a former president and active presidential candidate is thrown behind bars. Nobody knows for sure what exactly will happen.

With the election only a few months away, the left is working overtime to come up with any means of beating Trump, including tying him up in court or even throwing him in jail. Glenn recently had former U.S. DoJ Assistant Attorney General and Center for Renewing America senior fellow Jeff Clark on his show to discuss the recent resurrection of the classified documents case against Trump and what that could mean for the upcoming election. Clark explains that despite the immunity ruling from the Supreme Court this summer, he thinks there is a decent chance of a prison sentence.

What would that even look like if it happened? This is a completely unprecedented series of events and virtually every step is filled with potential unknowns. Would the Secret Service protect him in prison? What if he won from his jail cell? How would the American people respond? While no one can be certain for sure, here's what Glenn and Jeff Clark speculate might happen:

Jail time

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Can they even put a former president in prison? Jeff Clark seemed to think they can, and he brought up that New York County District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, had been talking with the New York jail system about making accommodations for Trump and the Secret Service assigned to protect him. Clark said he believes that if they sentence him before the election, Trump could be made to serve out his sentence until his inauguration, assuming he wins. After his inauguration, Clark said Trump's imprisonment would have to be suspended or canceled, as his constitutional duty as president would preempt the conviction by New York State.

House arrest

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Another possibility is that Trump could be placed under house arrest instead of imprisoned. This would make more sense from a security standpoint—it would be easier to protect Trump in his own home versus in prison. But, this would deny the Left the satisfaction of actually locking Trump behind bars, so it seems less likely. Either in prison or under house arrest, the effect is the same, Trump would be kept off the campaign trail during the most crucial leg of the election. It doesn't matter which way you spin it—this seems like election interference. Glenn even floated the idea of campaigning on behalf of Trump to help combat the injustice.

Public outrage

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It is clear to many Americans that this whole charade is little more than a thinly-veiled attempt to keep Trump out of office by any means necessary. If this attempt at lawfare succeeds, and Trump is thrown in jail, the American people likely will not have it. Any doubt that America has become a Banana Republic will be put to rest. How will anyone trust in any sort of official proceedings or elections ever again? One can only imagine what the reaction will be. If the past is any indication, it's unlikely to be peaceful.

POLL: What topics do YOU want Trump and Harris to debate?

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Does Kamala Harris stand a chance against Donald Trump in a debate?

Next week, during the second presidential debate, we will find out. The debate is scheduled for September 10th and will be hosted by ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. This will be the second presidential debate, but the first for VP Kamala Harris, and will feature the same rules as the first debate. The rules are: no notes, no chairs, no live audience, and the debater's microphone will only be turned on when it is his or her turn to speak.

This will be the first time Trump and Harris clash face-to-face, and the outcome could have a massive effect on the outcome of the election. Trump has been preparing by ramping up his campaign schedule. He plans to hold multiple rallies and speak at several events across the next several days. He wants to be prepared to face any question that might come his way, and meeting and interacting with both voters and the press seems to be Trump's preferred preparation approach.

With the multitude of issues plaguing our nation, there are a lot of potential topics that could be brought up. From the economy to the ongoing "lawfare" being waged against the former president, what topics do YOU want Harris and Trump to debate?

The economy (and why the Biden-Harris administration hasn't fixed it yet)

The Southern Border crisis (and Kamala's performance as border czar)

Climate change (and how Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement)

The "lawfare" being waged against Trump (and what Trump would do if he were thrown in prison)

Voting and election security (and how to deal with the possibility that illegal immigrants are voting)

3 ways the Constitution foils progressive authoritarianism

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This is why it is important to understand our history.

Over the weekend, the New York Times published a controversial article claiming the Constitution is a danger to the country and a threat to democracy. To those who have taken a high school American government class or have followed Glenn for a while, this claim might seem incongruent with reality. That's because Jennifer Szalai, the author the piece, isn't thinking of the Constitution as it was intended to be—a restraint on government to protect individual rights—but instead as a roadblock that is hindering the installation of a progressive oligarchy.

Glenn recently covered this unbelievable article during his show and revealed the telling critiques Szalai made of our founding document. She called it an "anti-democratic" document and argued it is flawed because Donald Trump used it to become president (sort of like how every other president achieved their office). From here, Szalai went off the deep end and made some suggestions to "fix" the Constitution, including breaking California and other blue states away from the union to create a coastal progressive utopia.

Here are three of the "flaws" Szalai pointed out in the Constitution that interfere with the Left's authoritarian dreams:

1. The Electoral College

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The New York Times article brought up the fact that in 2016 President Trump lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College, and thus won the election. This, as Szalai pointed out, is not democratic. Strictly speaking, she is right. But as Glenn has pointed out time and time again, America is not a democracy! The Founding Fathers did not want the president to be decided by a simple majority of 51 percent of the population. The Electoral College is designed to provide minority groups with a voice, giving them a say in the presidential election. Without the Electoral College, a simple majority would dominate elections and America would fall under the tyranny of the masses.

2. The Supreme Court

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President Biden and other progressives have thrown around the idea of reforming the Supreme Court simply because it has made a few rulings they disagree with. Glenn points out that when a country decides to start monkeying around with their high courts, it is usually a sign they are becoming a banana republic. Szalai complained that Trump was allowed to appoint three justices. Two of them were confirmed by senators representing just 44 percent of the population, and they overturned Roe v. Wade. All of this is Constitutional by Szalai's admission, and because she disagreed with it, she argued the whole document should be scrapped.

3. Republicanism

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To clarify, were not talking about the Republican Party Republicanism, but instead the form of government made up of a collection of elected representatives who govern on the behalf of their constituents. This seems to be a repeat sticking point for liberals, who insist conservatives and Donald Trump are out to destroy "democracy" (a system of government that never existed in America). This mix-up explains Szalai's nonsensical interpretation of how the Constitution functions. She criticized the Constitution as "anti-democratic" and a threat to American democracy. If the Constitution is the nation's framework, and if it is "anti-democratic" then how is it a threat to American democracy? This paradox is easily avoided with the understanding that America isn't a democracy, and it never has been.

Kamala Harris' first interview as nominee: Three SHOCKING policy flips

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On Thursday, Kamala Harris gave her first interview since Joe Biden stepped down from the race, and it quickly becameclear why she waited so long.

Harris struggled to keep her story straight as CNN's Dana Bash questioned her about recent comments she had made that contradicted her previous policy statements. She kept on repeating that her "values haven't changed," but it is difficult to see how that can be true alongside her radical shift in policy. Either her values have changed or she is lying about her change in policy to win votes. You decide which seems more likely.

During the interview, Harris doubled down on her policy flip on fracking, the border, and even her use of the race card. Here are her top three flip-flops from the interview:

Fracking

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In 2019, during the 2020 presidential election, Harris pledged her full support behind a federal ban on fracking during a town hall event. But, during the DNC and again in this recent interview, Harris insisted that she is now opposed to the idea. The idea of banning fracking has been floated for a while now due to environmental concerns surrounding the controversial oil drilling method. Bans on fracking are opposed by many conservatives as it would greatly limit the production of oil in America, thus driving up gas prices across the nation. It seems Harris took this stance to win over moderates and to keep gas prices down, but who knows how she will behave once in office?

Border

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In her 2020 presidential bid, Harris was all for decriminalizing the border, but now she is singing a different tune. Harris claimed she is determined to secure the border—as if like she had always been a stalwart defender of the southern states. Despite this policy reversal, Harris claimed her values have not changed, which is hard to reconcile. The interviewer even offered Kamala a graceful out by suggesting she had learned more about the situation during her VP tenure, but Kamala insisted she had not changed.

Race

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When asked to respond to Trump's comments regarding the sudden emergence of Kamala's black ancestry Kamala simply answered "Same old tired playbook, next question" instead of jumping on the opportunity to play the race card as one might expect. While skipping the critical race theory lecture was refreshing, it came as a shock coming from the candidate representing the "everything is racist" party. Was this just a way to deflect the question back on Trump, or have the Democrats decided the race card isn't working anymore?

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