The scary implications of Google's relationship with the military

Well, what a surprise, Lone Survivor was the number one movie at the box office this weekend. It wasn’t even close, opening with $38.5 million. It was the second biggest January opening ever, and the box office victory exceeded industry expectations. Now, I am shocked that Hollywood wouldn’t see the success of this film coming. They expected $14 million at the box office.

I am shocked that a story about real people in our military who display unparalleled bravery, loyalty, honor, and sacrifice has been largely overlooked by the Hollywood crowd. I am shocked that an industry that feasts on America’s darkest, dirtiest temptations didn’t see this movie coming, didn’t see that audiences are starving for something decent.

This movie is not a success because it’s an action-packed thriller with lots of gratuitous violence and nudity and sex like The Wolf of Wall Street or the next Spiderman. This is number one because despite the odds, some Navy SEALs never quit. Despite knowing what would happen to themselves if they let goat herders free, they chose not to become murderers.

This movie showed us exactly what the men and women in our military really are made of, and it is everything that we hope and dream them to be and quite honestly hope and dream we can be, brave, loyal, honorable, selfless. We want to know that in our own lives we can do that, when our own personal safety or security is threatened, that we would handle it with dignity, honor, and courage.

Marcus and his teammates did just that. I don’t know if you saw the movie this weekend. If you haven’t, you need to, but one detail that you may have overlooked in this movie, when Lieutenant Mike Murphy leaves his cover and ventures out into the open ground to call in air support, he’s getting shot up so badly. He knows he is going to die. He ends the call with “thank you.” We know this happened because Marcus Luttrell heard it happen. It’s in the movie. Watch for it.

That is the kind of men and women that we have raised up through our military; however, I don’t think I’m alone to say I’m a little concerned that the backbone and the system that has generated some of the best and the bravest human beings the planet has ever known in wartime is being torn apart. The very values that build strong character are being systematically dismantled at home and abroad, at home in our own homes but also in our military schools.

The values that brought us no soldier left behind is being replaced by the Benghazi model, which is leave them behind and shut up about it. The heritage of Christianity in the military is under attack. They took Christian ethics out, one of the first things this president did. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult now for soldiers to pray in public and share their faith with others.

Bibles are being banned from Walter Reed Medical Center. Excuse me, what? And some soldiers are being taught that they shouldn’t join Christian groups like the AFA, American Families Association, because they’re a hate group.

I want to make it very clear, I’m not suggesting that you have to be a Christian to be in the military, but what you do have to have is a moral set of standards, and for most people, those moral lines come from God. God gives us moral lines, natural rights, and natural laws that everyone can agree on. When your erase God or nature’s God and nature’s law, and you take them out of the picture, you erase our moral standards, and a society with no moral compass will not last.

Now, I want you to combine what you know about the dissolving of our ethical and moral structures with this new piece of information that came out this weekend. Google has increasingly positioned itself as a key contractor for the U.S. military. So now Google, do no evil, is now part of the industrial complex, working closely with the NSA now for at least six years that we know of, and now they are expanding their ties to the U.S. defense as they have purchased at least eight robotics companies that we know of with the sole purpose of supplying the U.S. military with these things.

Okay, robots that are humanoid, humanoid robots, that’s good. Did anybody see, did you guys see the Star Wars where Emperor Palpatine was like yes, just as I have foreseen? Oh, there they are. Look, the humanoid robots. A giant technology company ingratiating itself and engraining itself into the U.S. military, maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that probably ends very well.

Have we seen the movies? Do you remember Terminator? There’s another one. See, he comes back, says where is John Connor? Yeah, I don’t believe in time travel, wish I did, but nobody’s going to come in from the future and say where is John Connor’s mother? If you’re John Connor’s mother, please teach him what the future is. It’s not good.

Eisenhower, I think this is the last speech that any president gave us that actually really truly told the truth. Here is a general who then became president, and in the 1950s, he warned us. He’s the man who came out and coined the phrase that you’re about to hear.

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President Eisenhower: In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.

 

We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Glenn Oh, sorry, I lost him, something about alert. I’m all about using robots and machines and drones when we can. I’m more than happy to watch a drone get blown out of the sky over one of our pilots. I’m more than happy to see a robot blown up trying to defuse a bomb rather than one of our troops, but does anybody think we should be looking for the line?

The technology isn’t quite there yet, but it will be. We will have self driven tanks, self driven Jeeps, and full-sized humanoid robot soldiers sweeping cities all around the globe and rooting out “the enemy.” That doesn’t sound good. Let’s just start here on the least insane of the scenarios. Can we really expect robots to make split-second life-and-death decisions?

Oh, and then there’s this part, the information aspect of Google. They can track nearly 2 billion people worldwide. They’re tracking you. One billion people use Google search engines, maps, YouTube. Half a billion use Gmail. Their potential for intelligence gathering is limitless and should be breathtaking. They recognize that. The military recognizes that. When will America recognize that?

When Google went down a few months ago, 40% of the world’s Internet traffic was halted, 40% all around the globe because of one company. Where were the calls that that company is out of control and too big? I remember the calls for the Bell system to be broken apart. They weren’t mapping our brains and our DNA.

I don’t know about you, but I love the robot thing. I love the diffusing bombs. I love the drones, kind of. But I like the fact that we’re taking troops out of harm’s way, but down the road seems a little frightening. It’s far more insidious than an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. There was another movie this weekend that is resembling reality. It’s called Her. It’s a romantic comedy about a guy who falls in love with a girl, except the girl isn’t really a girl. It’s a computer program. It’s a computer with a female voice, basically like dating Siri on your iPhone, except she’s everywhere. Watch.

Yeah, except Theodore is a little spooky. He’s dating a chick that isn’t there. There is also a trilogy of books out. I started reading right after Christmas Divergent. I went to read Insurgent after, and now I’m on the third one. I don’t know, it’s Detergent or whatever. But it’s written by a 26-year-old girl. It’s brilliant. But I’m about halfway through now on book number three. Wait until you get to book number three. Hello, Google genome project.

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and yet, morality and ethics are afterthoughts. We’re excited about discovery and advancement, you know? We’re in fact so excited that we don’t even take the time to discuss or debate the moral dilemmas and implications of new technology. Sure, we’re still in control of technology now, but does there come a time when we’re not? Who will be the one that says turn it off? When do things go wrong?

I don’t see anyone at Google or in the government or anyone at the forefront of technology boom that is contemplating the ethics and morality issues. Now that is a truly scary thought that doesn’t come in a movie.

We wanted to get a couple of people on today that are experts:

The West is dying—Will we let enemies write our ending?

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The blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, and soldiers built our civilization. Their sacrifice demands courage in the present to preserve it.

Lamentations asks, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

That question has been weighing on me heavily. Not just as a broadcaster, but as a citizen, a father, a husband, a believer. It is a question that every person who cares about this nation, this culture, and this civilization must confront: Is all of this worth saving?

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

Western civilization — a project born in Judea, refined in Athens, tested in Rome, reawakened in Wittenberg, and baptized again on the shores of Plymouth Rock — is a gift. We didn’t earn it. We didn’t purchase it. We were handed it. And now, we must ask ourselves: Do we even want it?

Across Europe, streets are restless. Not merely with protests, but with ancient, festering hatred — the kind that once marched under swastikas and fueled ovens. Today, it marches under banners of peace while chanting calls for genocide. Violence and division crack societies open. Here in America, it’s left against right, flesh against spirit, neighbor against neighbor.

Truth struggles to find a home. Even the church is slumbering — or worse, collaborating.

Our society tells us that everything must be reset: tradition, marriage, gender, faith, even love. The only sin left is believing in absolute truth. Screens replace Scripture. Entertainment replaces education. Pleasure replaces purpose. Our children are confused, medicated, addicted, fatherless, suicidal. Universities mock virtue. Congress is indifferent. Media programs rather than informs. Schools recondition rather than educate.

Is this worth saving? If not, we should stop fighting and throw up our hands. But if it is, then we must act — and we must act now.

The West: An idea worth saving

What is the West? It’s not a location, race, flag, or a particular constitution. The West is an idea — an idea that man is made in the image of God, that liberty comes from responsibility, not government; that truth exists; that evil exists; and that courage is required every day. The West teaches that education, reason, and revelation walk hand in hand. Beauty matters. Kindness matters. Empathy matters. Sacrifice is holy. Justice is blind. Mercy is near.

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

If not now, when? If not us, who? If this is worth saving, we must know why. Western civilization is worth dying for, worth living for, worth defending. It was built on the blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, pilgrims, moms, dads, and soldiers. They did not die for markets, pronouns, surveillance, or currency. They died for something higher, something bigger.

MATTHIEU RONDEL/AFP via Getty Images | Getty Images

Yet hope remains. Resurrection is real — not only in the tomb outside Jerusalem, but in the bones of any individual or group that returns to truth, honor, and God. It is never too late to return to family, community, accountability, and responsibility.

Pick up your torch

We were chosen for this time. We were made for a moment like this. The events unfolding in Europe and South Korea, the unrest and moral collapse, will all come down to us. Somewhere inside, we know we were called to carry this fire.

We are not called to win. We are called to stand. To hold the torch. To ask ourselves, every day: Is it worth standing? Is it worth saving?

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Pick up your torch. If you choose to carry it, buckle up. The work is only beginning.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stop coasting: How self-education can save America’s future

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Coasting through life is no longer an option. Charlie Kirk’s pursuit of knowledge challenges all of us to learn, act, and grow every day.

Last year, my wife and I made a commitment: to stop coasting, to learn something new every day, and to grow — not just spiritually, but intellectually. Charlie Kirk’s tragic death crystallized that resolve. It forced a hard look in the mirror, revealing how much I had coasted in both my spiritual and educational life. Coasting implies going downhill. You can’t coast uphill.

Last night, my wife and I re-engaged. We enrolled in Hillsdale College’s free online courses, inspired by the fact that Charlie had done the same. He had quietly completed around 30 courses before I even knew, mastering the classics, civics, and the foundations of liberty. Watching his relentless pursuit of knowledge reminded me that growth never stops, no matter your age.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures.

This lesson is particularly urgent for two groups: young adults stepping into the world and those who may have settled into complacency. Learning is life. Stop learning, and you start dying. To young adults, especially, the college promise has become a trap. Twelve years of K-12 education now leave graduates unprepared for life. Only 35% of seniors are proficient in reading, and just 22% in math. They are asked to bet $100,000 or more for four years of college that will often leave them underemployed and deeply indebted.

Degrees in many “new” fields now carry negative returns. Parents who have already sacrificed for public education find themselves on the hook again, paying for a system that often fails to deliver.

This is one of the reasons why Charlie often described college as a “scam.” Debt accumulates, wages are not what students were promised, doors remain closed, and many are tempted to throw more time and money after a system that won’t yield results. Graduate school, in many cases, compounds the problem. The education system has become a factory of despair, teaching cynicism rather than knowledge and virtue.

Reclaiming educational agency

Yet the solution is not radical revolt against education — it is empowerment to reclaim agency over one’s education. Independent learning, self-guided study, and disciplined curiosity are the modern “Napster moment.” Just as Napster broke the old record industry by digitizing music, the internet has placed knowledge directly in the hands of the individual. Artists like Taylor Swift now thrive outside traditional gatekeepers. Likewise, students and lifelong learners can reclaim intellectual freedom outside of the ivory towers.

Each individual possesses the ability to think, create, and act. This is the power God grants to every human being. Knowledge, faith, and personal responsibility are inseparable. Learning is not a commodity to buy with tuition; it is a birthright to claim with effort.

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Charlie Kirk’s life reminds us that self-education is an act of defiance and empowerment. In his pursuit of knowledge, in his engagement with civics and philosophy, he exemplified the principle that liberty depends on informed, capable citizens. We honor him best by taking up that mantle — by learning relentlessly, thinking critically, and refusing to surrender our minds to a system that profits from ignorance.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures. Every day, seek to grow, create, and act. Charlie showed the way. It is now our responsibility to follow.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins TPUSA tour to honor Charlie Kirk

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If they thought the murder of Charlie Kirk would scare us into silence, they were wrong!

If anything, Turning Point will hit the road louder than ever. On Monday, September 22, less than two weeks after the assassination, Charlie's friends united under the Turning Point USA banner to carry his torch and honor his legacy by doing what he did best: bringing honest and truthful debate to Universities across the nation.

Naturally, Glenn has rallied to the cause and has accepted an invitation to join the TPUSA tour at the University of North Dakota on October 9th.

Want to join Glenn at the University of North Dakota to honor Charlie Kirk and keep his mission alive? Click HERE to sign up or find more information.

Glenn's daughter honors Charlie Kirk with emotional tribute song

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On September 17th, Glenn commemorated his late friend Charlie Kirk by hosting The Charlie Kirk Show Podcast, where he celebrated and remembered the life of a remarkable young man.

During the broadcast, Glenn shared an emotional new song performed by his daughter, Cheyenne, who was standing only feet away from Charlie when he was assassinated. The song, titled "We Are One," has been dedicated to Charlie Kirk as a tribute and was written and co-performed by David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds.

Glenn first asked David Osmond to write "We Are One" in 2018, as he predicted that dark days were on the horizon, but he never imagined that it would be sung by his daughter in honor of Charlie Kirk. The Lord works in mysterious ways; could there have been a more fitting song to honor such a brave man?

"We Are One" is available for download or listening on Spotify HERE