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Obama Gives ISIS Street Cred by Calling Them ISIL—And He Knows It

January 13, 2016
Lori Hanes

Writer

Why is it that most of us refer to the Islamic State as ISIS while the president and his administration use ISIL? It's no accident. In fact, it's very intentional and meaningful.

"I-S-I-S is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria," Glenn explained. "I-S-I-L goes beyond Iraq and Syria, and it goes into the Levant."

So just what is the Levant? It's a group of regions that includes Israel. While ISIS is controlling great portions of Iraq and Syria, they have not yet conquered Israel, a key part of the Levant. So when Obama uses "ISIL" he is intentionally giving a nod of respect to ISIS, recognizing their place in Islamic prophecy.

"[As] part of their [stated] prophecy, they're going to cobble together an army in Iraq and Syria, and they're going to take over the Levant," Glenn further explained. "Well, they haven't taken over the Levant yet, but our president is recognizing basically their prophecy and saying, 'Yep, that's you. You're the ones. You're the ones that the Prophet Muhammad has been talking about.'"

Glenn also revealed chilling details in recent ISIS propaganda---ISIS Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen---that specifically instructs radicals how to blend into Western societies and avoid being detected before carrying out a terrorist attack.

"I want to show you the ISIS Terror Manual," Glenn shared. "I found it on Truth Revolt today. The instructions include avoiding mosques, shaving your beard and wearing Christian crosses [so as] not to appear Muslim."

The how-to guide relies heavily on the "importance of surprise when launching an attack to cause maximum impact."

What does the president say every time we have a lone gunman? That it's not part of ISIS. It's not part of jihad. It's not part of Islam. Why? Because they're a lone wolf.

"If this president says this is definitely not happening and you're a fool or conspiracy theorist that needs to be mocked and ridiculed if you believe it is," said Glenn, "take that to the bank that the opposite is true.

Enjoy this complimentary clip from The Glenn Beck Program:

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

GLENN: Did anybody have a problem that the president is still calling ISIS ISIL?

STU: I don't. I mean, they committed to it a long time ago. They've been consistent -- the one thing they've been consistent here --

GLENN: Is their trashing of Israel?

STU: Well, okay, that. But also their hatred for individual rights, but other than that.

GLENN: The one thing he is really consistent on is his trampling of the Constitution and his hatred of Israel.

STU: Okay. Certain things, consistency has not been an issue for this president, I will grant you.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: But ISIL, they have been -- from the beginning, they've picked ISIL instead of ISIS and have stood by it the entire time.

GLENN: Well, the reason why you would pick ISIL is because you want to include the Levant. And the Levant includes Israel.

STU: That's the L, in case you don't know. It's been a while since we covered that.

GLENN: Yeah. I-S-I-L is HEP Levant. I-S-I-S is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. I-S-I-L goes beyond Iraq and Syria, and it goes into the Levant. It also speaks that the Levant is Israel. It also speaks to their prophecy.

And here's the one thing -- I don't care if you believe in their prophecy or not. I don't. In fact -- well, I kind of do. I actually believe their prophecy is from the gates of hell. I do believe that their philosophy because I've studied what they believe the end times to be, and then I know what we believe the end times to be, and the stories match. It is almost as if you took the Book of Revelation and said, "This is going to freak them out. I'm going to make their bad guy, our good guy, and their good guy, our bad guy." It's literally like that.

It is, their good guy comes up out of nowhere, gathers an army, the world begins to bow to him, those who don't bow to him are beheaded and killed and rounded up. And the world is washed in blood. This is their good guy. And he washes the world in blood. And anyone who won't bow and declare that Allah is God and Muhammad is his prophet is beheaded and killed.

Well, that pretty much is the Book of Revelation. It doesn't say it's Allah. But that's the Book of Revelation. Then the Messiah comes. They agree, Jesus comes. They actually agree with that. Jesus does come.

But when Jesus comes, he testifies to the Christian world that they're wrong and that Allah is God and the prophet is Muhammad. And then Jesus grabs the sword and he starts beheading anybody who doesn't agree. That's the way their story ends.

Our story is, okay. There's a guy. He kind of comes out of nowhere. He starts to cobble together an army. He gets all of the world to fall in with him. Anybody who doesn't fall in with him, he starts to kill and behead and crucify. And then Jesus comes. And Jesus says, "You're wrong, and I'm going to bind you up for 1,000 years. But you're wrong." That's the way -- so the same story, except their guy is the good guy, and their guy to them is the good guy. And he's our bad guy.

So that's what they believe. Now, I don't have to believe that Jesus is coming back right now. I don't have to believe that these are the end times. I don't have to believe any of these things. I won't be have to believe that they believe it. Because they're saying it. And part of their prophecy is, they're going to cobble together an army in Iraq and Syria, and they're going to take over the Levant.

Well, they haven't taken over the Levant yet. But our president is recognizing basically their prophecy and saying, "Yep. That's you. You're the ones. You're the ones that the Prophet Muhammad have been talking about. Yep. That's you. Because even though you don't have the Levant yet, you're going to get it. Because that's what the prophecy says."

Their prophecy also says that we all have to gather at a place called Dabiq, and that is where Armageddon happens. And they are going to deliver a massive blow to us in Dabiq. All of the world's nations will gather together, and we will come to this -- what is only just a little small farming town, and we will gather there and they will have a massive battle with us. And as the Prophet Muhammad says, "They will win."

PAT: It's not far from Des Moines, is it?

GLENN: No, you're thinking of HEP Dabuke.

PAT: Oh.

GLENN: Yeah, it's a little different. This one is in the Middle East.

PAT: Okay. All right. So it's a different farming town.

GLENN: Yes. Yes. But a farming town, nonetheless.

PAT: I was confused for a second.

And you talk about adding legitimacy, which he continually does. Because if we say that they're Islamic terrorists, that gives them the legitimacy they seek. You're telling me that calling them ISIL and adding Levant to it doesn't give them the legitimacy they want?

GLENN: And every nation that joins gives them the legitimacy. And by us not wiping them out, they say, "See. The world is afraid of us because they know our prophecy and they know that Allah is on our side and we're going to sweep." So by not wiping them out, by not hitting them really hard, by not breaking the chain of their prophecy, we're fulfilling their prophecy.

And it doesn't matter if it's real or not. That's the way -- you know, he always talks about. That's just a recruiting tool. That's just a recruiting tool. The biggest recruiting tool in the Middle East is, "This is the time the prophet foretold, where we take over the entire world." This is the time -- this is why they call themselves the army HEP of Armageddon. This is the time of Armageddon.

STU: Continued success, essentially, is their greatest recruiting tool.

GLENN: Yes. Yes.

STU: The longer you let them hang out and control this area --

GLENN: The longer you don't go in with with guns a blazing -- and we can do it all from the air. You can do it from the air.

JEFFY: I mean, we have. He told us last night. With our 65 other partners, we've been bombing the bad guy.

GLENN: And the secret number for them is 80. Got to be 80 partners. That's the secret -- so we want to build this coalition, good, they want us to. They want 80 flags coming against them in Dabiq.

And so the more we talk about, "Hey, well, we've got this coalition," the more they're saying, "Of course, you have this coalition. That's what the prophet said you would."

STU: Now, to hear the president tell the story last night though, the problem with us not being able to defeat ISIS is because Congress will not legitimize this effort.

GLENN: Since when?

STU: So he wants to be super tough on ISIL, but Republicans are getting in the way. That's the problem. That was a new wrinkle on this conversation.

GLENN: Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

STU: His hands are tied. Because he just cares so much about congressional approval over the things he does, he can't possibly -- can't possibly do this!

GLENN: So the other thing he always says is that it's always a lone wolf. Right? Always a lone wolf. There's nothing to worry about. This is just one guy. It's just this one guy.

These guys are just nothing but a bunch of guys in the back of a truck. Back of a truck. No big deal. And that shooter, he has nothing to do with Islam. It's just one guy. He's a lone wolf. How many times have you heard that? This is just a lone wolf.

I want to show you the ISIS Terror Manual. The ISIS Terror Manual. We now have it from sources at Great Britain. I found it on True Revolt today.

The terror manual that is now circulating among the refugees in Europe instructs jihadists on how to blend in with the West and avoid being detected before carrying out a terrorist attack.

The instructions include avoiding mosques, shaving your beard, and wearing Christian crosses not to appear Muslim. The how-to guide -- I'll give you the name here in a second -- relies heavily on the, quote, importance of surprise when launching an attack to cause maximum impact.

It has now been translated into English. It explains how to go to nightclubs because they are full of loud music and drunk people and they are the perfect place to discuss terror plans without being recorded or spied on.

If you can avoid having a beard -- I'm quoting now the terror manual -- if you can avoid having a beard, wearing, is it kwamas? HEP Kwamas? Using -- using HEP Miswhack. I don't even know what that is. Or having a booklet with you, it's better.

It is permissible for you to wear a necklace showing a Christian cross. As you know, Christians or even atheist westerners with Christian background, wear crosses on their necklaces. But don't wear a cross necklace if you have a Muslim name on your passport, as that will look strange.

If you want to use perfume, don't use the oily nonalcoholic perfume that Muslims use. Instead, use generic alcohol perfume as everyone else does. If you're a man, use perfume for men.

If you're wearing a watch, do not wear it on your right hand, as this is a sign that you're religious. If you have an engagement ring or something like that, it's better to wear one in gold or better yet, not wear anything at all. A silver ring tells people that you are religious as Islam forbids the wearing of gold rings for men.

In all, the booklet with burning buildings illustrated on the cover is intended for operatives already in the West, those that know their surroundings and how to behave normally day by day as a European.

What does the president say every time we have a lone gunman? That it's not part of ISIS. It's not part of jihad. It's not part of Islam. Why? Because they're a lone wolf.

The name of the terror manual from ISIS Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf HEP Mujahadines.

If this president says this is definitely not happening and you're a fool or conspiracy theorist that needs to be mocked and ridiculed if you believe it is, take that to the bank that the opposite is true.

Featured Image: Pat, Glenn, Stu and Jeffy settle in for a long night of Political Science Theater 3000 to watch President Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 13, 2016. (Photo Credit: TheBlaze)

EXCLUSIVE: Tech Ethicist reveals 5 ways to control AI NOW

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.

Could China OWN our National Parks?

Jonathan Newton / Contributor | Getty Images

The left’s idea of stewardship involves bulldozing bison and barring access. Lee’s vision puts conservation back in the hands of the people.

The media wants you to believe that Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is trying to bulldoze Yellowstone and turn national parks into strip malls — that he’s calling for a reckless fire sale of America’s natural beauty to line developers’ pockets. That narrative is dishonest. It’s fearmongering, and, by the way, it’s wrong.

Here’s what’s really happening.

Private stewardship works. It’s local. It’s accountable. It’s incentivized.

The federal government currently owns 640 million acres of land — nearly 28% of all land in the United States. To put that into perspective, that’s more territory than France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom combined.

Most of this land is west of the Mississippi River. That’s not a coincidence. In the American West, federal ownership isn’t just a bureaucratic technicality — it’s a stranglehold. States are suffocated. Locals are treated as tenants. Opportunities are choked off.

Meanwhile, people living east of the Mississippi — in places like Kentucky, Georgia, or Pennsylvania — might not even realize how little land their own states truly control. But the same policies that are plaguing the West could come for them next.

Lee isn’t proposing to auction off Yellowstone or pave over Yosemite. He’s talking about 3 million acres — that’s less than half of 1% of the federal estate. And this land isn’t your family’s favorite hiking trail. It’s remote, hard to access, and often mismanaged.

Failed management

Why was it mismanaged in the first place? Because the federal government is a terrible landlord.

Consider Yellowstone again. It’s home to the last remaining herd of genetically pure American bison — animals that haven’t been crossbred with cattle. Ranchers, myself included, would love the chance to help restore these majestic creatures on private land. But the federal government won’t allow it.

So what do they do when the herd gets too big?

They kill them. Bulldoze them into mass graves. That’s not conservation. That’s bureaucratic malpractice.

And don’t even get me started on bald eagles — majestic symbols of American freedom and a federally protected endangered species, now regularly slaughtered by wind turbines. I have pictures of piles of dead bald eagles. Where’s the outrage?

Biden’s federal land-grab

Some argue that states can’t afford to manage this land themselves. But if the states can’t afford it, how can Washington? We’re $35 trillion in debt. Entitlements are strained, infrastructure is crumbling, and the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and National Park Service are billions of dollars behind in basic maintenance. Roads, firebreaks, and trails are falling apart.

The Biden administration quietly embraced something called the “30 by 30” initiative, a plan to lock up 30% of all U.S. land and water under federal “conservation” by 2030. The real goal is 50% by 2050.

That entails half of the country being taken away from you, controlled not by the people who live there but by technocrats in D.C.

You think that won’t affect your ability to hunt, fish, graze cattle, or cut timber? Think again. It won’t be conservatives who stop you from building a cabin, raising cattle, or teaching your grandkids how to shoot a rifle. It’ll be the same radical environmentalists who treat land as sacred — unless it’s your truck, your deer stand, or your back yard.

Land as collateral

Moreover, the U.S. Treasury is considering putting federally owned land on the national balance sheet, listing your parks, forests, and hunting grounds as collateral.

What happens if America defaults on its debt?

David McNew / Stringer | Getty Images

Do you think our creditors won’t come calling? Imagine explaining to your kids that the lake you used to fish in is now under foreign ownership, that the forest you hunted in belongs to China.

This is not hypothetical. This is the logical conclusion of treating land like a piggy bank.

The American way

There’s a better way — and it’s the American way.

Let the people who live near the land steward it. Let ranchers, farmers, sportsmen, and local conservationists do what they’ve done for generations.

Did you know that 75% of America’s wetlands are on private land? Or that the most successful wildlife recoveries — whitetail deer, ducks, wild turkeys — didn’t come from Washington but from partnerships between private landowners and groups like Ducks Unlimited?

Private stewardship works. It’s local. It’s accountable. It’s incentivized. When you break it, you fix it. When you profit from the land, you protect it.

This is not about selling out. It’s about buying in — to freedom, to responsibility, to the principle of constitutional self-governance.

So when you hear the pundits cry foul over 3 million acres of federal land, remember: We don’t need Washington to protect our land. We need Washington to get out of the way.

Because this isn’t just about land. It’s about liberty. And once liberty is lost, it doesn’t come back easily.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.