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Glenn's Show Prep

Rep. Louie Gohmert might be the last member of Congress on Glenn's radio show

October 23, 2015
Ted Tuttle

Editor

Towards the end of his radio program Friday, Glenn spoke with Rep Louie Gohmert to discuss the Speaker of the House situation.

Right away, Glenn told Gohmert, "you may be our last guest from Congress ever on this show."

Gohmert seemed to share Glenn's frustration with the conservative members of Congress who are now lining up to support Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House.

"You understand what a rare person it is that will give up power like Washington did," Gohmert said.

Speaking of Daniel Webster, who Glenn did his homework on and endorsed, Gohmert added, "He has shown, he can give up power of his own and get it back to the members."

Listen to the dialogue or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: We're just stalling -- Louie is on now. Let's go to Louie. Hello, Louie, how are you?

LOUIE: Well, as far as I know, but I'll take Gary Cooper for 100.

GLENN: All right. So, Louie, we're debating right now, you may be our last guest from Congress ever on this show.

LOUIE: Oh, no.

GLENN: Seriously.

LOUIE: Somebody around here has got to keep up the hope.

GLENN: Well, it's not us. It's not us. I am -- I just had Barry Loudermilk -- what do you think of Barry Loudermilk?

LOUIE: I like him. I like him a lot.

GLENN: Okay. Well, that doesn't work out well then for what I'm about to tell you. Because I was mad as hell, and I had him earlier this broadcast. And we had very cross --

LOUIE: Is he falling in line to support Paul Ryan?

GLENN: Yes, he has. Yes, he has.

LOUIE: Okay.

GLENN: And he told us because Paul has told him he's going to do the right thing this time. And he didn't know -- the first time when it was Daniel Webster, he didn't know who Daniel Webster was. And this time when it was Daniel Webster, he didn't even know who it was. He had to Google him.

PAT: So...

LOUIE: Okay.

GLENN: But he's voting for Paul Ryan because he has a grandchild, so it's for the children.

LOUIE: Wow, okay. Okay. Well, and that would be a reason that I would especially stay with my pledge to support Dan. I mean, you know. You've studied this stuff. And even back when you were on Fox and you had your blackboard and you were doing all this, Glenn. You understand what a rare person it is that will give up power like Washington did.

GLENN: Yes.

LOUIE: And you told us stories of that man. So, yeah, you know, Dan doesn't have the voting record that -- that I do or Thomas Massie that just walked in my office here. But he has shown, he can -- he can give up power of his own and get it back to the members. And, really, if we did that in this Congress, where we know two-thirds to three-fourths represent very conservative districts, but for years now, since -- actually since Tom DeLay was thrown out because he got indicted, we elected John Boehner as our leader. And we -- it has been nine years of marginalizing the two-thirds to three-fourths of our conference that was very conservative, and getting them to march to the tune of the moderates. And so I thought this was a real opportunity. And I didn't just think it. It is. It has been. And here we go. We're --

GLENN: Yeah, we've blown it again.

LOUIE: And this goes back. And Steve King told me before, God, you remember so many of these details. And I don't know. But it -- but going back to 2006 -- yeah, you told me I got 12 minutes. All right. I'll get this in.

Back in 2006, Bush had been pushing -- I'm a freshman. Bush was pushing to reform Social Security, and nobody was ready to jump on board, or not enough people for what he wanted to do. But I was talking to guys, and I felt like we had a movement going forward. I was excited. How about if we just do an initial reform by putting real money in the Social Security lockbox? And Al Gore there. But, anyway, because since the 1930s, as you know, they have immediately spent Social Security money as it went into the trust fund. There's never been anything to talk about. Nothing, but nonnegotiable IOUs. So how about if you put real money in there, made some kind of interest-bearing bonds, and we could be growing interest on that money instead of growing nothing and spending as it comes in.

And I got excited. A lot of guys were getting excited. Yeah, this could be -- we could probably get Democrats to vote for this. And so I went to the guy -- this was back in early 2006, that -- you know, so many of us have respect for on financial issues. I said, "Paul, what about if we, you know, put real money in Social Security. I think we got enough people to do it. I think we can get Democrat votes." He said, "Louie, we could never do that." And I said, "Why not?" I was shocked.

He said, "Well, because if we put real money in the Social Security trust fund, we end up buying bonds and securities, and we end up playing into the security market. We could never ever under any circumstances allow the government to do that."

And so imagine my surprise when two years later, I'm hearing my friend Paul down there in the well of the House telling people that we have to do the Wall Street bailout. We've got to do TARP because only the federal government has enough money and wherewithal to buy these mortgage-backed securities and hold them until they had value. I'm going, "Gosh, I wish that guy had been around back in 2006. We could have started reform on Social Security."

And I just knew TARP was so wrong. And it opened -- you know, I liked George W. Bush, but I think that was a bigger mistake than Iraq because it opened this door to everything Obama has done.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

LOUIE: No way Obama gets $900 billion in January if Bush doesn't get 700 billion back in October. It opened the door to all kinds of calamities.

And, also, there's also a reason Louie Gutierrez is a big fan of Paul's because of similar positions on amnesty. And some of the guys around here say, if we do an amnesty, we're done. Texas goes blue. You know, things go blue. And it's lost. Because people, as you've been trying to educate, you have to understand about the responsibilities before you're allowed to vote. And when you bring them in and say, "Here. Learn how to get benefits," you're not ready to vote yet. So, anyway --

GLENN: So, Louie.

LOUIE: One other point though. This is so critical to me. It's a big issue to me.

GLENN: Well, you're the last congressman we'll ever have on this show. So go ahead. Go out in style.

LOUIE: Okay. Well, in the late '70s, Democrats and Republicans all agreed, if DC were ever going to have a full voting US representative, you have to amend the Constitution. They got it passed through Congress with two-thirds. Didn't get three-fourths of the states to ratify it. And so it didn't become an amendment.

So when we're in the minority in like '07, the Democrats bring a bill to amend the Constitution legislatively. And my friend and the guy I respect, Paul Ryan, supported it. He voted for it. And I'm telling you, there's just too many mistakes like that that are so foundational.

GLENN: They're not mistakes. Look, the G.O.P. has signed itself over to the -- to the Mitt Romneys of the world. And -- and, you know, that's -- that's where they're going. They're just going to ignore the people on the street that believe that we should return to a constitutional government. A constitutional republic. And do the things that the people want to do. I'm convinced that people like Paul Ryan -- I don't know Paul himself. But people like him. The G.O.P. kind of guys. They despise the average person that votes G.O.P. They just don't -- they think we're stupid. They don't agree with us. And, you know, you just don't know. You know, when you have somebody like Barry Loudermilk who comes on and says, "We have to return to the basic values. And I will go. And I need leadership. And I will vote against John Boehner." And then he votes for John Boehner. It's just, "Well, things have changed. I didn't understand. I'm more enlightened now that I'm here." That's ridiculous.

LOUIE: I don't know. But I can tell you though there is a remnant. Hey, Thomas, say hi to Glenn Beck.

THOMAS: How you doing, Glenn? This is Thomas Massie.

GLENN: Hey, Thomas.

LOUIE: Even though he went to MIT, he's a hero of mine. He's a smart guy.

GLENN: Thomas was on the show with us yesterday.

LOUIE: I just love him.

GLENN: Tom, I have to tell you, we have two people -- this is going out in style. You two are the last congressmen and senators we're ever going to have on this show. Because I can't do it anymore. I can't do it anymore. And I don't think the American people can do it anymore. We're sitting here. We're in here pitching for you. We want to help you.

LOUIE: Yeah, you have been.

GLENN: But every time the people call, they do things, it ends up that friends of yours betray us. And it's like --

LOUIE: Well...

GLENN: Where do we go, Tom? Where do we go, Thomas?

THOMAS: Look, apathy is the enemy. Don't let apathy get to you. Don't let it get to the listeners.

GLENN: It's not apathy. It's betrayal. Over and over and over again. It's just betrayal.

THOMAS: I know it's so tough. So many people put their faith in other men and women who have let them down. But there are a few of us up here who are not giving up. I guarantee you.

LOUIE: Well, I got to tell you, Glenn, we've been a little flippant here. But I know you're crushed. And I can tell you, I'm lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.

(laughter)

LOUIE: This is not a happy time for me right now. I mean, you know...

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: You know what, because there are -- I know there is a handful of guys who are really, really great. You two are two of them. I trust you. I can't believe those words are coming out of my mouth after the past few days, but I trust you two. And you guys have never let us down. And you guys are way out on the limb. You know, maybe what I would like to do is, I would like to sit down with the -- whoever it is -- and I want -- I want to know their name. And I want to look them in the eye and I want to know, "We're going to the wall. We're never going to sit down. We're never going to shut up." And maybe we just make this, you know, a caucus, if you will. And we know exactly who those guys are. And those are the only people that we're supporting. Because I can't take it anymore. I can't take the betrayal anymore.

LOUIE: Well, I understand that.

THOMAS: Keep this in mind, Glenn. The establishment here is terrified. They're actually scared.

GLENN: They have a strange way of showing it.

THOMAS: Well, Speaker Boehner is gone. Kevin McCarthy is not moving up. Eric Cantor HEP lost. These are three of their top generals who lost in the last 18 months.

GLENN: Right, but they just replaced him with Paul Ryan who will be stronger than any of those guys.

THOMAS: We will -- we will see. I mean, I hope he succeeds. I'm not hoping --

GLENN: Right. Right.

THOMAS: If he wins, I mean, we still have a race. There's still an election. I'm still for the Daniel Webster. But even if he should prevail, you know, we want him to succeed.

GLENN: Right. I get that. And I said to Barry Loudermilk today, we had him on the show. And he did not have a pleasant appearance on the program.

THOMAS: Oh, I'm sorry.

GLENN: I'm just mad as hell. But, you know, I said to him, I said, "Look, Barry, I appreciate the fact that you came on, you took the heat. And you add to stood here. He's the only one. We called all of them. None of them would come on. He actually did. And he stated his case. And I said, "Look, I'll be the first to say, thank God, you were right, but what do you -- what evidence do you have?" This happens this way every single time. And then we always say, "Well, I trusted him that time."

LOUIE: As an old history major with four years in the Army, you know, are destined to repeat it. When somebody has a long history, not just once -- and I'll tell you, John voted for the Wall Street bailout and he immediately after said, "I am so sorry. Worst vote of my life. I never should have done that." Well, I can respect a guy that at least acknowledged that. You know, I liked Romney, but he would never admit that Romneycare was a disaster. That would have helped.

GLENN: I know.

LOUIE: But anyway --

GLENN: Hang on. Louie, I have to -- I'm sorry. I have a network break. And I appreciate it.

LOUIE: I know how that goes.

GLENN: And thank you guys for actually having a spine and standing. If you can get me a list of names. I would love to put that on and broadcast so everybody knows who these people are who actually are standing. Because I ain't going to forget the names that didn't.

LOUIE: Our spines are stout, but we might need you to prop up our dead stout bodies.

GLENN: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. God bless you. Buh-bye.

Is the U.N. plotting to control 30% of U.S. land by 2030?

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

A reliable conservative senator faces cancellation for listening to voters. But the real threat to public lands comes from the last president’s backdoor globalist agenda.

Something ugly is unfolding on social media, and most people aren’t seeing it clearly. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) — one of the most constitutionally grounded conservatives in Washington — is under fire for a housing provision he first proposed in 2022.

You wouldn’t know that from scrolling through X. According to the latest online frenzy, Lee wants to sell off national parks, bulldoze public lands, gut hunting and fishing rights, and hand America’s wilderness to Amazon, BlackRock, and the Chinese Communist Party. None of that is true.

Lee’s bill would have protected against the massive land-grab that’s already under way — courtesy of the Biden administration.

I covered this last month. Since then, the backlash has grown into something like a political witch hunt — not just from the left but from the right. Even Donald Trump Jr., someone I typically agree with, has attacked Lee’s proposal. He’s not alone.

Time to look at the facts the media refuses to cover about Lee’s federal land plan.

What Lee actually proposed

Over the weekend, Lee announced that he would withdraw the federal land sale provision from his housing bill. He said the decision was in response to “a tremendous amount of misinformation — and in some cases, outright lies,” but also acknowledged that many Americans brought forward sincere, thoughtful concerns.

Because of the strict rules surrounding the budget reconciliation process, Lee couldn’t secure legally enforceable protections to ensure that the land would be made available “only to American families — not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests.” Without those safeguards, he chose to walk it back.

That’s not selling out. That’s leadership.

It's what the legislative process is supposed to look like: A senator proposes a bill, the people respond, and the lawmaker listens. That was once known as representative democracy. These days, it gets you labeled a globalist sellout.

The Biden land-grab

To many Americans, “public land” brings to mind open spaces for hunting, fishing, hiking, and recreation. But that’s not what Sen. Mike Lee’s bill targeted.

His proposal would have protected against the real land-grab already under way — the one pushed by the Biden administration.

In 2021, Biden launched a plan to “conserve” 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030. This effort follows the United Nations-backed “30 by 30” initiative, which seeks to place one-third of all land and water under government control.

Ask yourself: Is the U.N. focused on preserving your right to hunt and fish? Or are radical environmentalists exploiting climate fears to restrict your access to American land?

  Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor | Getty Images

As it stands, the federal government already owns 640 million acres — nearly one-third of the entire country. At this rate, the government will hit that 30% benchmark with ease. But it doesn’t end there. The next phase is already in play: the “50 by 50” agenda.

That brings me to a piece of legislation most Americans haven’t even heard of: the Sustains Act.

Passed in 2023, the law allows the federal government to accept private funding from organizations, such as BlackRock or the Bill Gates Foundation, to support “conservation programs.” In practice, the law enables wealthy elites to buy influence over how American land is used and managed.

Moreover, the government doesn’t even need the landowner’s permission to declare that your property contributes to “pollination,” or “photosynthesis,” or “air quality” — and then regulate it accordingly. You could wake up one morning and find out that the land you own no longer belongs to you in any meaningful sense.

Where was the outrage then? Where were the online crusaders when private capital and federal bureaucrats teamed up to quietly erode private property rights across America?

American families pay the price

The real danger isn’t in Mike Lee’s attempt to offer more housing near population centers — land that would be limited, clarified, and safeguarded in the final bill. The real threat is the creeping partnership between unelected global elites and our own government, a partnership designed to consolidate land, control rural development, and keep Americans penned in so-called “15-minute cities.”

BlackRock buying entire neighborhoods and pricing out regular families isn’t by accident. It’s part of a larger strategy to centralize populations into manageable zones, where cars are unnecessary, rural living is unaffordable, and every facet of life is tracked, regulated, and optimized.

That’s the real agenda. And it’s already happening , and Mike Lee’s bill would have been an effort to ensure that you — not BlackRock, not China — get first dibs.

I live in a town of 451 people. Even here, in the middle of nowhere, housing is unaffordable. The American dream of owning a patch of land is slipping away, not because of one proposal from a constitutional conservative, but because global powers and their political allies are already devouring it.

Divide and conquer

This controversy isn’t really about Mike Lee. It’s about whether we, as a nation, are still capable of having honest debates about public policy — or whether the online mob now controls the narrative. It’s about whether conservatives will focus on facts or fall into the trap of friendly fire and circular firing squads.

More importantly, it’s about whether we’ll recognize the real land-grab happening in our country — and have the courage to fight back before it’s too late.


This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

URGENT: FIVE steps to CONTROL AI before it's too late!

MANAURE QUINTERO / Contributor | Getty Images

By now, many of us are familiar with AI and its potential benefits and threats. However, unless you're a tech tycoon, it can feel like you have little influence over the future of artificial intelligence.

For years, Glenn has warned about the dangers of rapidly developing AI technologies that have taken the world by storm.

He acknowledges their significant benefits but emphasizes the need to establish proper boundaries and ethics now, while we still have control. But since most people aren’t Silicon Valley tech leaders making the decisions, how can they help keep AI in check?

Recently, Glenn interviewed Tristan Harris, a tech ethicist deeply concerned about the potential harm of unchecked AI, to discuss its societal implications. Harris highlighted a concerning new piece of legislation proposed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. This legislation proposes a state-level moratorium on AI regulation, meaning only the federal government could regulate AI. Harris noted that there’s currently no Federal plan for regulating AI. Until the federal government establishes a plan, tech companies would have nearly free rein with their AI. And we all know how slowly the federal government moves.

  

This is where you come in. Tristan Harris shared with Glenn the top five actions you should urge your representatives to take regarding AI, including opposing the moratorium until a concrete plan is in place. Now is your chance to influence the future of AI. Contact your senator and congressman today and share these five crucial steps they must take to keep AI in check:

Ban engagement-optimized AI companions for kids

Create legislation that will prevent AI from being designed to maximize addiction, sexualization, flattery, and attachment disorders, and to protect young people’s mental health and ability to form real-life friendships.

Establish basic liability laws

Companies need to be held accountable when their products cause real-world harm.

Pass increased whistleblower protections

Protect concerned technologists working inside the AI labs from facing untenable pressures and threats that prevent them from warning the public when the AI rollout is unsafe or crosses dangerous red lines.

Prevent AI from having legal rights

Enact laws so AIs don’t have protected speech or have their own bank accounts, making sure our legal system works for human interests over AI interests.

Oppose the state moratorium on AI 

Call your congressman or Senator Cruz’s office, and demand they oppose the state moratorium on AI without a plan for how we will set guardrails for this technology.

Glenn: Only Trump dared to deliver on decades of empty promises

Tasos Katopodis / Stringer | Getty Images

The Islamic regime has been killing Americans since 1979. Now Trump’s response proves we’re no longer playing defense — we’re finally hitting back.

The United States has taken direct military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Whatever you think of the strike, it’s over. It’s happened. And now, we have to predict what happens next. I want to help you understand the gravity of this situation: what happened, what it means, and what might come next. To that end, we need to begin with a little history.

Since 1979, Iran has been at war with us — even if we refused to call it that.

We are either on the verge of a remarkable strategic victory or a devastating global escalation. Time will tell.

It began with the hostage crisis, when 66 Americans were seized and 52 were held for over a year by the radical Islamic regime. Four years later, 17 more Americans were murdered in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, followed by 241 Marines in the Beirut barracks bombing.

Then came the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996, which killed 19 more U.S. airmen. Iran had its fingerprints all over it.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, Iranian-backed proxies killed hundreds of American soldiers. From 2001 to 2020 in Afghanistan and 2003 to 2011 in Iraq, Iran supplied IEDs and tactical support.

The Iranians have plotted assassinations and kidnappings on U.S. soil — in 2011, 2021, and again in 2024 — and yet we’ve never really responded.

The precedent for U.S. retaliation has always been present, but no president has chosen to pull the trigger until this past weekend. President Donald Trump struck decisively. And what our military pulled off this weekend was nothing short of extraordinary.

Operation Midnight Hammer

The strike was reportedly called Operation Midnight Hammer. It involved as many as 175 U.S. aircraft, including 12 B-2 stealth bombers — out of just 19 in our entire arsenal. Those bombers are among the most complex machines in the world, and they were kept mission-ready by some of the finest mechanics on the planet.

   USAF / Handout | Getty Images

To throw off Iranian radar and intelligence, some bombers flew west toward Guam — classic misdirection. The rest flew east, toward the real targets.

As the B-2s approached Iranian airspace, U.S. submarines launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles at Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities. Minutes later, the bombers dropped 14 MOPs — massive ordnance penetrators — each designed to drill deep into the earth and destroy underground bunkers. These bombs are the size of an F-16 and cost millions of dollars apiece. They are so accurate, I’ve been told they can hit the top of a soda can from 15,000 feet.

They were built for this mission — and we’ve been rehearsing this run for 15 years.

If the satellite imagery is accurate — and if what my sources tell me is true — the targeted nuclear sites were utterly destroyed. We’ll likely rely on the Israelis to confirm that on the ground.

This was a master class in strategy, execution, and deterrence. And it proved that only the United States could carry out a strike like this. I am very proud of our military, what we are capable of doing, and what we can accomplish.

What comes next

We don’t yet know how Iran will respond, but many of the possibilities are troubling. The Iranians could target U.S. forces across the Middle East. On Monday, Tehran launched 20 missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar, Syria, and Kuwait, to no effect. God forbid, they could also unleash Hezbollah or other terrorist proxies to strike here at home — and they just might.

Iran has also threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the artery through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil flows. On Sunday, Iran’s parliament voted to begin the process. If the Supreme Council and the ayatollah give the go-ahead, we could see oil prices spike to $150 or even $200 a barrel.

That would be catastrophic.

The 2008 financial collapse was pushed over the edge when oil hit $130. Western economies — including ours — simply cannot sustain oil above $120 for long. If this conflict escalates and the Strait is closed, the global economy could unravel.

The strike also raises questions about regime stability. Will it spark an uprising, or will the Islamic regime respond with a brutal crackdown on dissidents?

Early signs aren’t hopeful. Reports suggest hundreds of arrests over the weekend and at least one dissident executed on charges of spying for Israel. The regime’s infamous morality police, the Gasht-e Ershad, are back on the streets. Every phone, every vehicle — monitored. The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place warning for Americans.

Russia and China both condemned the strike. On Monday, a senior Iranian official flew to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. That meeting should alarm anyone paying attention. Their alliance continues to deepen — and that’s a serious concern.

Now we pray

We are either on the verge of a remarkable strategic victory or a devastating global escalation. Time will tell. But either way, President Trump didn’t start this. He inherited it — and he took decisive action.

The difference is, he did what they all said they would do. He didn’t send pallets of cash in the dead of night. He didn’t sign another failed treaty.

He acted. Now, we pray. For peace, for wisdom, and for the strength to meet whatever comes next.


This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Globalize the Intifada? Why Mamdani’s plan spells DOOM for America

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

If New Yorkers hand City Hall to Zohran Mamdani, they’re not voting for change. They’re opening the door to an alliance of socialism, Islamism, and chaos.

It only took 25 years for New York City to go from the resilient, flag-waving pride following the 9/11 attacks to a political fever dream. To quote Michael Malice, “I'm old enough to remember when New Yorkers endured 9/11 instead of voting for it.”

Malice is talking about Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist assemblyman from Queens now eyeing the mayor’s office. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state representative emerging from relative political obscurity, is now receiving substantial funding for his mayoral campaign from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

CAIR has a long and concerning history, including being born out of the Muslim Brotherhood and named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror funding case. Why would the group have dropped $100,000 into a PAC backing Mamdani’s campaign?

Mamdani blends political Islam with Marxist economics — two ideologies that have left tens of millions dead in the 20th century alone.

Perhaps CAIR has a vested interest in Mamdani’s call to “globalize the intifada.” That’s not a call for peaceful protest. Intifada refers to historic uprisings of Muslims against what they call the “Israeli occupation of Palestine.” Suicide bombings and street violence are part of the playbook. So when Mamdani says he wants to “globalize” that, who exactly is the enemy in this global scenario? Because it sure sounds like he's saying America is the new Israel, and anyone who supports Western democracy is the new Zionist.

Mamdani tried to clean up his language by citing the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which once used “intifada” in an Arabic-language article to describe the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. So now he’s comparing Palestinians to Jewish victims of the Nazis? If that doesn’t twist your stomach into knots, you’re not paying attention.

If you’re “globalizing” an intifada, and positioning Israel — and now America — as the Nazis, that’s not a cry for human rights. That’s a call for chaos and violence.

Rising Islamism

But hey, this is New York. Faculty members at Columbia University — where Mamdani’s own father once worked — signed a letter defending students who supported Hamas after October 7. They also contributed to Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. And his father? He blamed Ronald Reagan and the religious right for inspiring Islamic terrorism, as if the roots of 9/11 grew in Washington, not the caves of Tora Bora.

   Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

 

This isn’t about Islam as a faith. We should distinguish between Islam and Islamism. Islam is a religion followed peacefully by millions. Islamism is something entirely different — an ideology that seeks to merge mosque and state, impose Sharia law, and destroy secular liberal democracies from within. Islamism isn’t about prayer and fasting. It’s about power.

Criticizing Islamism is not Islamophobia. It is not an attack on peaceful Muslims. In fact, Muslims are often its first victims.

Islamism is misogynistic, theocratic, violent, and supremacist. It’s hostile to free speech, religious pluralism, gay rights, secularism — even to moderate Muslims. Yet somehow, the progressive left — the same left that claims to fight for feminism, LGBTQ rights, and free expression — finds itself defending candidates like Mamdani. You can’t make this stuff up.

Blending the worst ideologies

And if that weren’t enough, Mamdani also identifies as a Democratic Socialist. He blends political Islam with Marxist economics — two ideologies that have left tens of millions dead in the 20th century alone. But don’t worry, New York. I’m sure this time socialism will totally work. Just like it always didn’t.

If you’re a business owner, a parent, a person who’s saved anything, or just someone who values sanity: Get out. I’m serious. If Mamdani becomes mayor, as seems likely, then New York City will become a case study in what happens when you marry ideological extremism with political power. And it won’t be pretty.

This is about more than one mayoral race. It’s about the future of Western liberalism. It’s about drawing a bright line between faith and fanaticism, between healthy pluralism and authoritarian dogma.

Call out radicalism

We must call out political Islam the same way we call out white nationalism or any other supremacist ideology. When someone chants “globalize the intifada,” that should send a chill down your spine — whether you’re Jewish, Christian, Muslim, atheist, or anything in between.

The left may try to shame you into silence with words like “Islamophobia,” but the record is worn out. The grooves are shallow. The American people see what’s happening. And we’re not buying it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.