Eric Liu: You're More Powerful Than You Think

What happens when a reasonable constitutionalist meets a reasonable progressive? A useful conversation ensues.

Eric Liu, CEO of Citizenship University and author of You're More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen's Guide to Making Change Happen, joined Glenn in studio to discuss the destructive nature of politics and how to push back against a rigged system.

Enjoy the complimentary clip or read the transcript for details.

GLENN: Eric Liu is a new friend. We started to get to know each other maybe two months ago. He came down from his hometown of Seattle, which is also my hometown.

He is a CEO of Citizenship University. He teaches civics at the University of Washington. Just that is enough to say, I don't think we're going to have a lot in common.

(laughter)

GLENN: He is -- he was described by a mutual friend of ours, Matt Kibbe, as a progressive who wants to talk to the other side. And I -- I sat down in my office with Eric, and I said, "This is going to be an interesting conversation." And you -- you pretty much, if I remember correctly, started the conversation with, I'm not an early 20th century American progressive.

Is that -- am I remembering that right? Or did I hear that in my --

ERIC: Well, you asked if I was.

GLENN: Yes. And so your answer was?

ERIC: Yeah.

Well, my answer was, I'm a progressive in the sense simply that I believe you can't just let things be. I think that society, a community, a political system, an economy is like a garden. You know, when you leave things be, for a while, things grow awesome. They're great. Right? They grow like gangbusters.

But after a certain point, noxious weeds take over, and they start to kill the whole thing. After a little while of letting things go, the garden tips over and it dies.

GLENN: Well, there's a difference between that and to use your garden -- let me take it to a farm. Theodore Roosevelt. So I'll take it out of the Republicans. Talked about breeding of humans, in compared to breeding like cattle, because noxious weeds -- people will marry, and they're too stupid to know who to marry and who not to marry. I mean, there is -- there is a place to where the farmer or the rancher takes it too far.

ERIC: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I think, you know, there's a good wide open space between that vision of, hey, we're citizen gardeners. We own responsibility for making sure that we tend, that we weed, that we see the plot between that. And eugenics. You know, that whole world view --

GLENN: Yes. Yeah.

STU: Just a personal thing for us. But would you mind using an analogy that isn't related to vegetables? We're not familiar.

ERIC: You don't get what I'm talking about?

STU: Yeah, we just don't understand.

GLENN: He's a vegetarian and still doesn't understand them. He hates the fact that he's a vegetarian.

You write, why do most people think "power" is a dirty word? Because they think it means coercion and violence. They associate it with the worst in human nature. And if I can summarize, a couple things that you say: There are three laws of power. The first, power concentrates, that it feeds itself and it compounds, as does powerlessness. Second, power justifies itself. People invent stories to legitimatize the power that they have. And third, power is infinite. There is no inherit limit to the amount of power people can create.

Take me through those three points.

ERIC: Yeah. These are pretty fundamental to any understanding, I think, of whether you're on the right or the left, how we live in this incredible age right now of bottom-up citizen power. People all across-the-board are knocking over entrenched monopolies, knocking over entrenched systems of status quo. And so when you look at those three laws, number one, power concentrates. You know, when you have it, you tend to get more.

GLENN: Yeah.

ERIC: When you don't have it, you tend to get less. Right? And that plays out in economic terms, in terms of the rich get richer and so forth. But it's also political.

GLENN: You see it honestly with the conservatives. Progressives have control of much of the media, and the conservatives struggle to have a toehold in that media. And we seem to get less and less.

ERIC: Well, I think that's right. I mean, I think there is a way in which -- okay. So that's number one: Power concentrates.

GLENN: Yes.

ERIC: But what you're touching on is also law number two: Power justifies itself, right? So people who tend to be in power, and from your perspective, that's progressives in the media. In other times in American history --

GLENN: Well, let's take it in your field, I mean, in the university, you can't tell me that you think that progressives don't control the universities and manipulate and justify itself?

ERIC: Well, I think progressives dominate the academy. Progressives dominate the media.

GLENN: Yeah.

ERIC: But domination is one thing. It's justifying itself as telling these just so stories about why that ought to be so. Right?

GLENN: Correct.

ERIC: And so an example I'll use more from the left is the classic case is trickle-down economics. To me, the idea that people who are already wealthy and already privileged telling you, you've got to take good care of us, man. You've got to coddle us and make sure you give us nice tax breaks because that's the only way any of my wealth is going to leak down to the rest of you, right?

Economic theory tells you, there's not actually a whole lot of truth to that. But it's a story. It's a way of justifying people having what they have. Right?

White supremacy has always been that kind of story line. You know, that, hey, look, whites are better and more suited for governing and governing themselves and running the show than non-whites, so this just ought to be the way it is. Right? You non-whites ought not to be kind of crowding into the public square.

So if all you had were these two laws here, that power compounds and it justifies itself, you get into a pretty grim doom loop. Right? You get into a situation -- well, you get into a dictatorial authoritarian situation. The only thing that busts you out of that doom loop is law number three, which is that power is infinite. And that people, wherever they are, even if they're outside of those circles of concentrated power, can generate new countervailing power out of thin air, simply by organizing.

And, you know, I actually on the road have been completely consistent in saying exhibit A is the Tea Party. The Tea Party, 2010, arrived without clout, without connections, without permission, without anybody saying, "Hey, go on and kind of lead a movement here to challenge the entrenched status quo in both parties." But these people remembered that they had infinite power, and that if they simply began to organize with another, which is simply asking one other human to join you in a common endeavor and say, you know what, let's make some plans here. Let's get on a common message. Let's do some things together. They began fundamentally to change the game, right?

And I think this age that we're in right now is one that connects the Tea Party, with Occupy Wall Street. With $15 an hour. With Black Lives Matter.

You may think, wow, all these people. I don't agree with all these people. But the reality is, all of them are remembering that in this bottom-up way, citizens can exercise far more clout and muscle than most of the time we remember we have.

GLENN: So this is -- and I know this audience is -- is feeling it. And I say this in the spirit of just defining where we are. Okay?

As I'm listening to you and I heard about, you know, trickle-down economics, I wanted immediately to stop and battle you on that.

ERIC: Yeah.

GLENN: There's several things that you said that I immediately wanted to say, no.

(chuckling)

STU: That's okay though.

GLENN: It's okay. It's okay. But that's where we get lost. Because we don't listen -- we don't let the other person finish. And so we're not listening to each other.

But let me -- instead of battling on those things, let me take you here on that. I agree with your three points. And I agree with you on the last point. And I -- you know, I -- I'm sorry, I have to say it, but not only power is infinite, with power comes money too. Money is infinite. So we spend so much time telling people, sit down, shut up, to protect your own power. Okay?

And I can't -- you can't do it because that guy is in your way. You can't make money because that guy has it all. Money and power. They're usually put together. And they are infinite. As we see in Silicon Valley. You can dream, you can do. It's the idea of America.

Here's the thing that I want to get to on this -- on this power: There are progressives on both sides of the aisle. There are progressives that are Republicans, progressives that are Democrats. And the -- the original idea was either fascism in the early 20th century. They thought fascism and communism was neat. So the early guys were, who is going to control the cows? Who is going to be the rancher on the cows? Who is going to tell these dummies that don't get it how to live their life? We'll protect them, and we'll have the power.

And so there's fascists, and there's communists, if you will. Both of them end the same way in authoritarianism.

How do we get to a point to where the people who are truly constitutionalists -- this is what makes us different. What the progressives started in the early 20th century is just to bring us back to the European model. Look what's happening in France: Communism or fascism. Forty percent is voting for fascism or communism. That's craziness.

How do we get to the point to where we can say, "I want you to -- I want you to have the power that you want. I want you to have all the success that you want." But I -- I don't want you telling me what success I can have or what I have to believe or what line I have to tow. I don't want control of your life. I want -- I want 330 million experiments happening that will pop up, and I'll go, "My gosh, look at that life. I'd like to pattern my life after that." Instead of somebody trying to cookie-cutter us all. And I think that's what a lot of people on the left are feeling, especially youth. They're seeing that -- that -- that current running through the right, that says, I want a strongman. And they miss the strongman on the left.

So how do reasonable people come together in the middle that are saying, "Eric, I love you and I respect you and I don't have a problem. Don't control my life. I won't control your life."

ERIC: So I want to start with appreciating what you said at the outset, which was, there were three or four moments when I was speaking earlier where you just wanted to hop up and say no. Right?

I think that's huge. I don't want to just kind of skip past that. I think it's really worth naming that. And I'm sure many of your listeners are like, no.

JEFFY: A couple of people in the room.

(laughter)

ERIC: Yeah, I'm sure. So I think that ability to hear that inside yourself, to kind of sit with that and say, "Hold on. Let's let this play out."

GLENN: And not -- and hang on. And not stew on that like, okay. I got to wait until he stops. I got to remember this.

JEFFY: That's hard. That's hard.

GLENN: Because I couldn't remember -- I couldn't remember -- I know there were three or four things that I thought of that I wanted to say no. But it's stop yourself and let it go. And listen to the other side. That's really hard.

ERIC: That verb right there, man. I think politics, especially in DC, is filled with what I call debaters listening. Right?

GLENN: Yes.

ERIC: You're just listening inasmuch as you need to get the quick gist of what the guy is saying. And then your wheels are spinning, how am I going to pound him back? How am I going to destroy what he just said, right?

GLENN: Yes.

STU: Yep.

ERIC: And what I'm talking about is basically citizens listening.

GLENN: Yes.

ERIC: Like humans actually full-body listening. Right? And checking yourself and saying, okay. Before I react -- I know my talking points I'm going to kind of wheel out here. Right? And the same thing just happened for me.

GLENN: I could see it.

ERIC: You were describing this vision of what you're articulating. You know, you're describing progressivism as top-down, cookie-cutter, controlling either fascist or communist, you know, the state solves everything or tries to solve everything for people.

GLENN: And the reason why you're here is because I don't believe you believe that.

ERIC: I don't believe that, right?

GLENN: Right.

ERIC: And I don't accept that definition in the first place.

GLENN: But do you believe there are those that do that?

ERIC: I do. And I think we're here because precisely as you say, because there is a space between that caricature and the caricature that I could throw out, you know, that all Libertarians are just complete individualistic kind of, you know, sociopathic selfish people that just want to go their own -- that would be equally wrong and stupid, right?

GLENN: Correct. Correct. We've made the media and sound bites. And we are reflecting it in our own conversation. If we can't judge each other in one sound bite, then we don't engage.

ERIC: Yeah.

GLENN: We get lost. And those sound bites make us into cartoon characters.

ERIC: Yeah.

GLENN: And we're not those cartoon characters.

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EXPOSED: Federal agency is ROBBING AMERICANS of private land

In this clip, Glenn details a story from Oregon in which homeowners cannot reach their private cabins because the road needed to access them has been taken over by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Ben Burr, Executive Director of BlueRibbon Coalition, tells Glenn this story exemplifies a different kind of federal land grab: ‘They enact so many regulations that make it so difficult for you to access and enjoy your property that eventually you just can't afford to own it anymore. So you sell it, and then they turn it into a conservation area or something.’ It’s a unique type of tyranny that MUST be stopped. Burr explains why this issue needs national attention AND pressure…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: We have Ben Burr on with us now, he's blue ribbon coalition expert. He is watching and fighting against the federal land grab, that mainly is happening in the West.

Ben, welcome to the program.

BEN: Yeah, thanks for having me, Glenn.

GLENN: So did you look in -- I -- I had my office look into you, and ask the about the story of the homeowners that have to walk to their cabins. And nobody is repairing the road. Because it's BLM land now. Is this just another land grab?

BEN: I believe it is.

I've been working against these federal agencies for years now, and one of the common trends I see is these agencies work to dispossess property owners of their property.

And the way they do it is through what is called a regulatory taking. They enact so many regulations that make it so difficult for you to access and enjoy your property. That eventually, you just can't afford to own it anymore. So you sell it, and then they turn it into a wilderness or a conservation area or something.

It's a really pernicious form of tyranny, that exists within our public system, and these poor property owners in Oregon have been fighting BLM for two years to be able to access a road, that they've been accessing since 1906, to go to these cabins. And now BLM is telling them, they're not allowed to do it. They put up a gate. They won't get the key, and they are being prevented from going to what is essentially their homes.

GLENN: So what -- what is it that they can do?

BEN: Well, currently, we're putting a lot of pressure on the BLM, they've started an administrative process, to see if they can reopen this road. But the reason that I think this needs national attention is because there just needs to be pressure -- Congressman Bentz has been helpful in trying to get this done.

But as you know, the Republicans were in the minority last Congress. As soon as there's a majority, I'm hoping there's some Congressional scrutiny on the behavior of what's going on at the BLM office.

I just -- I don't think the BLM can be an agency that can just decide one day, that you can't go to your home anymore. And they block off a road.

GLENN: I got news for you.

I know you agree with me on this. No agency should be able to get up one day and just change the rules. No agency should do that. Congress makes the law.

BEN: They don't have to change the rules. The BLM's own rules say, like, if you look at their handbook, it says that they cannot deny a property owner access to go and use and enjoy their property.

They're not following their rules. And so -- but they are willing to play chicken. Like, so the question is: Is this going to have to go to court?

It's just frustrating that that might have to be the outcome. Because all you need is for one field managerial to change his mind, and say, they can keep using this road, they've been using since 1906.

And one thing you should know. I did help them get emergency access to go winterize their cabins one year.

There was an early breeze coming. Nobody had turned off their water. This was the first year that they couldn't go up. And we petitioned BLM, saying, can we just go up and turn off the water so we don't break all our pipes and destroy our homes?

And they were like, okay. Fine. You can do it.

So they actually drove up the road, that had been allegedly destroyed by an erosion event that happened from a flood.

The road is passable. You can still do it in a four-wheel drive vehicle. So no work needs to be done.

But the BLM just won't let them open the gate. They're telling them no. And the reason is because they're worried these four wheeled vehicles will run over fish in the river.

GLENN: Oh.

BEN: And I've hiked to these cabins, Glenn. I have a picture on our website. Of me hiking up there. The river goes up to my knees. Have you ever tried to run over a fish in a river that is knee-deep with a Jeep?

GLENN: Oh, I do it all the time. I just run over. That's how I fish. And how I take out my anger. I just drive up and down rivers that kill fish. Yeah. This is ridiculous.

BEN: And there are a few places where there are river crossings. They have been doing it for a century and more. And they're worried about the fish.

And they're just like, I don't think they'll run over the fish in their Jeeps.

I've tried to catch fish with my hands in a river when I was a kid, and it's impossible there. They're pretty -- they're pretty adaptive.

GLENN: Yeah. It's almost as if water is their element.

BEN: Almost.

GLENN: Almost. Almost.

Okay. So, Ben, is this part of -- I remember during the Clinton years, somebody was talking about Yellowstone and letting roads in and around the park degrade so people would just -- eventually just vacate that area, because it was too difficult to get to. I don't even know if that was true. That was something going on around the '90s. Is there a concerted effort in our -- in our land management agencies? To do these kinds of things?

BEN: Oh, 100 percent.

In the Clinton era, you have what was called the roadless rule, which was one of these rules, that the agencies just dreamed up. That I think if we could get it before the Supreme Court again, they would strike it down after the EPA versus West Virginia case.

Because they just made up the rule out of clean cloth. They had no congressional direction to do it. But my organization, political, that's one of the primary things we fight over, is roads.

Because if you can close roads, you can close access. That means we're not using our natural resources. It means people can't access private property.

I've helped ranchers. In the same cases, folks in Oregon tried to get up to their graving permit -- permitted land and their private properties.

And so there is a concerted effort to obliterate and decommission roads, all across the public land system. Because that's how you can turn it into what's called designated wilderness, which is you can only go and walk on it, on your own 2 feet, and you can't do anything.

No mechanized anything, on a wilderness area. And some wilderness is okay. Like the recreation region, it's probably okay to have some regions that are okay for all that. But this group that wants to close it all down, wants it all.

GLENN: I have to tell you, I have -- I have land up in Idaho. That when I bought it, it was a good thing.

It's surrounded by BLM, and then surrounded by national forests.

And I thought, that's a good buffer. And everything else. No. That's really bad.

It is literally surrounded. The road has to go through the national forest, to be able to get to my -- my ranch. That's exactly the kind of stuff they want to shut down.

BEN: Yeah. So you have neighbors, who have the infinite power of the federal government to hurt you, if they ever decide they don't want to be your neighbor anymore.

And so you and I, get into conflict with our neighbor, we go knock on their door. And we go talk to them. And we work it out. Things get really heated. Maybe we go to civil court. You have a disagreement with your government, and the government says, we don't like using that road anymore. Now you have to go up against something with a 4 trillion-dollar budget, infinite regulatory power to dispossess you of your property. And how often do you think an individual citizen wins those fights?

It's -- it's hard work. The only reason why I have any ability to know how to do it. Is because I had somebody who had been working at the agency, for 35 years, train me on how to challenge these decisions that come out of these agencies. And there's not a lot of people that know what to do or how to do it.

And so that's an open invitation, by the way. If any of your listeners ever need help with these federal land agencies. We're here to help them.

GLENN: And your federal website is sharetrails.org. Sharetrails.org.

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Glenn: THIS is our current battle & it’s NOT about politics

We’re facing an ‘incredible darkness,’ Glenn says. And this time, Glenn explains, it’s NOT about politics. Rather, we’re battling against sheer evil, and it can be seen in SEVERAL instances throughout society today. And though the examples Glenn provides in this clip may seem like separate battles, they’re not: ‘They’re just battles in the same war.’

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I want to play another piece of audio here with you.

This is Rachel Levine to doctors. I want you to listen to this.

VOICE: For almost 40 years now, I have considered it an honor to be a doctor. I believe in our role as healers. I believe in our role as truth-tellers.

And the truth that we need to confront now are that medicine and science are being politically perverted around this country, this destroys human lives.

And we have reached the tipping point for the role -- the innocent and civic life, for the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth and other Americans.

Those who attack our community are driven by an agenda of politics.

And it has nothing to do with medicine. It has nothing to do with science. It has nothing to do with warmth, empathy, compassion, and understanding.

They are rejecting the value of support of medicine, rejecting well-established science, and simply rejecting basic human compassion.

We as doctors and as people who love our communities and love our nation, have to confront the fact that the language of care and compassion, that they're using, is being attain to granted, to literally tear our communities apart.

So we have to stand up. We have to take a stand on behalf of those who are being hurt. That's what we do in medicine, even when it's difficult.

GLENN: This is her plea to doctors. To become activists for trans youth. Everything she said there, is a distortion of the truth, or an out-and-out lie.

We are -- we are facing just incredible darkness. Just incredible darkness. And we were talking about Planned Parenthood a few minutes ago. And how they are pushing porn on our kids. How they are pushing transgender, nonbinary, you know you can be any gender you want. They're pushing surgery on kids.

How -- how is that logical or decent at all?

I urge you to watch the video that I made with someone who is de-transitioning. She started transitioning when she was 11, with the support of loving doctors.

She now doesn't think those doctors were so loving.

They used her fear. She's now de-transitioning, because she realizes, she is a woman. And always was a woman.

Stu asked me, you know why are we -- why -- why this big push for children? And I have to tell you, I think the answer is really clear. Really clear.

The agenda is a very old -- Old Testament pagan worship ritual. And it worships earth. And it puts earth above everything. And uses your sexual desires, to worship Baal or Moloch. It is very anti-human. If you look -- if you're part of the earth worshipers now, the people who are anything -- do anything to prevent global warming, when there's no research that any of the stuff that they're talking about, will actually work. And they are willing to shut down our economies. They're willing to shut down our farms. They are willing to shut down our businesses.

Why?

To protect the earth. From?

CO2. Who produces that?

Humans. They worship everything, and despise human beings. This is just part of their earth worship. This is just part of their ritual. The sexualization of our children is ritualistic in its nature. The sacrifice of our children and their innocence, is being put up on the altar of whatever God it is they are serving. I'm not suggesting that they know they're serving an evil God.

But they are.

And I do believe there are those that are very clear, on what they're doing. They're sexualizing our children.

They are sacrificing our children. They are willingly to sacrifice millions of lives in honor of Gaia, the spirit of the earth.

That's what's happening. And that's why I said earlier today, it's -- this isn't about politics. And you don't have to get overwhelmed. What's happening in your school with the sexualization of your kids, what's happening with ESG. They seem separated, but they're not. They're the same. The fight on global warming, is exactly the same fight, as the fight against the Constitution.

All of these things seem like separate battles. But they're not. Sorry. Separate wars. But they're not. They're just battles in the same war. We never -- you know said, oh, we've got to worry about this. But wait. It's happening in Berlin too. But wait. It's happening in Russia too. We knew all that. And we knew it was coming from one source.

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. So what is the one source, that is creating all of this chaos and confusion, and policies that lead to death?

It's the same source, it has always been. The author of all lies. We are not fighting against flesh and bone. We are fighting evil.

Once we get that, you'll no longer be overwhelmed. Because you will understand, this is a spiritual battle. And if we understand it's a spiritual battle.

We will be able to fight it effectively. We are now fighting this, like it's flesh and bone.

It's not. We're using a losing strategy. Understand this is a spiritual battle, and begin to fight like that, and we know how the story ends.

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Do these 5 stories show IDIOCY or planned economic DESTRUCTION?

Either far-left elites are just absolutely STUPID or they’re actually TRYING to completely destroy our economy. In this clip, Glenn runs through 5 different stories that exemplify either the left’s sheer idiocy OR calculated, planned moves to end the Western way of life. So, which do YOU think it is…?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Okay. So I want to -- I want to go through a few stories, and ask you if this is a coincidence, if this is just global stupidity unlike we've ever seen. Or as I believe, it is intentional.

And it is an intentional thing to bring down our economy. And when I say our economy, I mean the entire western economy.

To bring down our economy, to reset it, to something new. The Great Reset.

Also, to take down our electrical systems. Our power generation. And to be able to put us on the ropes, with energy. Then to dismantle our food system. And as crazy this is, I'll explain in a minute.

That is part of the great reset. Plus, at the same time, turn our children into people that don't want to procreate. Take our young girls and stop them from being able to reproduce.

Confuse children. So they can't think logically. And then destroy all truth. Are those things happening as a coincidence? Is it really all of those things? Let me give you a couple of stories. Switzerland is looking at banning electric vehicle use during an energy crisis.

Now, how is that possible? How can the all-blessed battery and electric car be considered as something we could ban during an energy crisis.

It's supposed to save us energy. No. That's a lie by the left.

It takes more energy to produce one of those cars, than it does to produce a regular gasoline engine car or diesel engine car. So you'll start at an energy deficit. And then the thing that they never talk about, is where does that magic electricity come from, inside of your wall?

It comes usually from a coal-fired plant, a hydroelectric plant, or a nuclear plant.

It could also come as it is in Texas, in a natural gas plant. All of those things are being dismantled. So where are we going to get our electricity, when we have an energy crisis? Which they have now, but they'll blame it on the war. They have now in Europe.

But we're getting rid of dams here. We're shutting nuclear power plants down here. We're banning coal here. We're banning oil production here.

Where is that magic energy coming from?

Next story. Soros has a -- another little -- spooky dude. Problem-solving counsel. It's called the government impact. Funded by me. Spooky dude. George Soros. We just put out a memo, now. Advising the Biden administration that the Clean Air Act grants the Environmental Protection Agency, the authority to control or prohibit the manufacturing and sale of gasoline. Hmm.

Wow. So in this republic of ours, the president through an edict. Through one of his departments. The Department of Ed.

Or, sorry, the Department of Environmental Protection. They can just ban gasoline. There's your republic for you.

By the way, LA has voted the ban of any new oil wells. So what does that mean? If they're not pumping oil, they're going to have to buy it from someplace else. And you ain't buying it from America. Because America isn't allowed to drill either.

The city is going to get rid of operations, that are already running, after a 20-year period to phase them out. This is the most important step toward environmental justice. Is it environmental justice?

Because I don't even know what environmental justice is. I know what they say it means. But here's what I think it means: The intentional destruction of our way of life.

All right? Let me give you this one. Is this a coincidence, or is this very well-planned?

A joint resolution has just gone to the House in Michigan. Michigan is -- let me see if I can find the stupid PDF here.

Because I have to read it to you. Michigan is now looking and putting a joint resolution in. Joint resolution Y.

They are looking now to control all gasoline production. Oil. Gas production, as a natural gas.

And distribution. And creation of electricity in Michigan. The state is now discussing a takeover of the entire energy sector, in Michigan.

And they want to do it through eminent domain.

So Michigan is now talking about a state takeover of all electricity. All gasoline. All natural gas.

I couldn't see what -- what could possibly go wrong there? I think Whitmer is probably the most important person in the electric production and distribution family. Do you know anybody who is more qualified than the governor of Michigan?

Is this an intentional enslaving of people? Or are they just this stupid?

You'll have to decide. Let me give you this story. Yesterday, I told you about the Netherlands. And how farmers are being bought out by the state, if they won't stop using nitrogen fertilizer. The farmers have been protesting, saying, we will not be able to grow enough food. We will not be able to have enough cattle, to be able to feed Europe.

Now, remember, you might blow off the Netherlands as, who cares about the Dutch farmers? The Netherlands are the second largest food exporter in the world. The second.

So all of Europe will starve if you destroy the farmland in the Netherlands. That's exactly what they're doing. They've said, because of global warming, the World Economic Forum and The Great Reset says, we can't use any kind of modern fertilizer.

So because we can't use modern fertilizer, we're not only going to be cold in the winter because we can't use fossil fuels, but we also are going to be starving. Now, I told you that story yesterday. And warned you, that it is coming here.

Let me give you today's story: German farmers are ordered to slash their nitrogen fertilizer usage to -- to comply to the EU and World Economic Forum green laws.

So Germany is banning farmers from using nitrogen fertilizer. Which, by the way, because of nitrogen fertilizer, we probably have 50 percent more yield to our crops. That means, 50 percent less food, if you don't use it. It's not like we have a better solution. We're just saying, stop using this! Exactly what we're doing with energy. We don't have the magic green energy yet. But we're just stopping producing. Hydroelectric. We're taking down dams. We're shutting down nuclear power plants. We're shouting down coal plants. We're shutting down oil. And replacing it with? Nothing! Just a different lifestyle. You won't own anything, and you'll like it. I'm sorry. But all of this -- all of this is the intentional destruction of your way of life.

And I'm not saying that our way of life is the most thrifty. Is the best.

I'm saying, the western world saved millions. Hundreds of millions of lives, just from starvation. In the last 50 years.

Our progress actually helped people become more educated. To become better people. Stronger people.

More inventive people. All of that is being destroyed.

And it's being done intentionally. I mean -- I just found a -- a report from the APA. The American -- I think it's Psychiatrist Association. And in this, they talk about the social benefits, and the social drawbacks for identity conflict.

So identity conflict is, I don't know if I'm a man or a woman. I don't know who I am.

I -- I -- I don't know if I'm part of society. I'm an outcast of society.

I'm a male. I'm a female. I'm a bambi.

Okay? Social conflicts. The current increasingly complex environment, people often hold multiple social identities.

For example, an Asian-American may identify both as an American and an Asian. A mixed race person may simultaneously identify with both races. Whenever the different identities are simultaneously activated and give conflicting behavioral direction, people experience social identity conflict. Seven studies, both measured and manipulated social identity conflict in surveys, secondary data, controlled experiments, show that social identity conflict shortens one's planning horizon in future-oriented choices. Now, what does that mean?

It means that our children cannot plan for their future. They don't know how to plan for their future. They can't look to the future.

So not only have we confused them, we're also not teaching them critical thinking. We're teaching them, never to question. And because we've confused them, they can't think critically and make any long-term decisions.

Now, is all of this being done, because somehow or another, the whole elite world has just forgotten science? Or is this being done intentionally, by a group of elites who, quite honestly, are anti human? You'll have to ask yourself that question. And your friends that question. But I urge you, America, to ask your friends to hurry. And answer that question.

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How the Fed's digital currency could END ECONOMIC FREEDOM

Right before Thanksgiving, when Americans were distracted with travel plans and family feasts, the Federal Reserve announced it is testing its own CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency). Carol Roth, former investment banker and author of ‘The War On Small Business,’ joins Glenn to detail how this CBDC is the OPPOSITE of decentralized cryptocurrencies that interest millions of Americans. Yet, the Fed is trying to confuse Americans into believing the two kinds of digital currencies are just alike: ‘It’s a new scheme to maintain power and control.’ Plus, Roth explains how this CBDC — if it becomes the norm — WILL END our economic freedom...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Carol Roth, how are you?

CAROL: Glenn, you're sounding very feisty for a Monday morning. I'm not sure I can handle this. But coming up the weekend here.

GLENN: I have to tell you, I can't take the mainstream media, and half of the country, that is like, that's a conspiracy theory. What? That you're stupid?

That you don't pay attention.

That you can't read?

What is the conspiracy theory at this point? Because all of the things that people like you, people like me, we have been talking about now for years, are just being verified, one right after the other.

CAROL: Yeah. I think the definition of a conspiracy theory at this point is something that the media will report on three years later after we all knew that it happened.

GLENN: Exactly right. Exactly right. There's a difference between conspiracy theories and conspiracy facts. So let's -- let's talk about the -- the facts -- let's start with the CBDC. The central bank digital currency.

CAROL: Yes. First of all, CBDC is not a bar at New York City. So this is actually something different.

GLENN: Right.

CAROL: But it is tied into the monetary system. And basically, this is something that more than 100 countries around the world, who are losing control of their Fiat currencies, because of their government overspending. And because of their central bank printing. They're trying to come up with a new scheme to be able to maintain that power and control. So the idea of the central bank digital currency is to confuse you. People are interested in cryptocurrencies because they're deindustrialized and because they don't have that centralized power. And so they're trying to glom on to that interest and say, oh, yeah. We're just like that. Except for, they're exactly the opposite. They are completely centralized. And they give entire control to the central banks. So imagine today, you know the Treasury prints up a Federal Reserve note. We call it a dollar, route?

And imagine that dollar had a chip in it. And so when you went to go pay with your dollar, the fed was trapping you. The government was tracking you and saying, nah, you know, Glenn, you've had too many burgers this month.

We really don't want people eating meat because it's bad for the environment. So this dollar is no good anymore.

This is what a central bank digital currency, assuming that it's a retail facing one, one that the consumers will use, is going to do. And, oh, guess what, the New York fed is doing a 12-week digital dollar pilot. That is including Wells Fargo, the very Group, MasterCard. And about six others.

GLENN: So, Carol, they are saying that because they're not sure. If they can convert our system of transferring money, which doesn't involve any trucks.

But the digitizing of actual physical dollars. And sending them overseas in bulk. They're not sure they can work out the math, on how to do that, without the US dollar.

That sounds like the biggest bunch of bullcrap, I've ever heard.

They're wondering if it's going to work for the data transfer?

You're doing it every day now.

CAROL: Yeah. So the US is the leader in payments. And if you go and look at all the different -- the Bank Policy Institute. All the different folks who are kind of looking at policy around this, everybody is going, you know, America doesn't need this.

It's one thing for a small country that doesn't have the infrastructure. But we have laser fast settlements of payments. We have laser fast transactions through private entities. There is no need for this.

The need is a wanton and a desire for control and power by the people who are in charge and by the people who have not been taking care of those dollars. And so they need a new scheme. And this is the scheme. And, oh, by the way, this is how they're going to do this, Glenn. And my best guess right now. All this stuff we're seeing with the crypto woes. The FTX collapse. The -- you know the hacking, the fraud. They're going to tell you, oh, we need regulation. We need regulation around crypto. Because crypto is bad.

And they are going to regulate it, and they're going to sneak in congressional approval. Because that's the one thing. That a central bank. Digital currency. The fed does not have authorization from it. It must come from Congress. Not that that stops anyone anyway.

Just theoretically speaking. So keep an eye out. Whatever bills are coming down the pike. They are going to try to stuff this in here. And I'm not joking at all. I'm not -- this is not hyperbole. This will be the end of economic freedom. If a retail CBDC comes to fruition.

GLENN: I -- you know I'll go a step further. I'm not saying this is the mark of the beast. But it has all the earmarks of just not being able to live in society without it.

You won't be able to do anything, without it. Correct?

CAROL: Yeah. I mean, listen, it impacts your livelihood. You know how you get paid. How you transact.

I mean, it is the foundation.

Stable money is the foundation of a stable society.

GLENN: Now, people will say, though, Carol. That I already -- I already interact with my money this way.

I don't get an actual paycheck and bring it to the bank. It's digitally transferred into my bank. And then I spend, either a credit card or a debit card, everywhere I go. I go to a gas station. Put a card in. What's the difference?

CAROL: If I really, you're doing by choice. And you have a choice of providers. And the providers aren't the government. And it doesn't have the authority to come in and say, I'm sorry.

We're just going to cut off your ability to take in money. Or to put out money. We're going to freeze it.

Think about the trucker convoy up in Canada. They just froze their assets. They can do this, you know with just a flick of a switch.

Just one off, and say, I'm sorry. But that's it. You can't -- we've abandoned -- we've gotten rid of cars. We're not going to let you hail an Uber. Let you do this.

You said something bad on social media. We didn't like it. So we'll let you come down. This is a tool to let people submit to what the government wants. And it's the ultimate bullying tactic. The ultimate control tactic, to be able to control every facet of how you transact.

GLENN: I will tell you, that it is -- it is -- what people will say, well, I'm not doing anything wrong. You don't have to do anything wrong.

You just have to want to spend your money on hamburger. As opposed to fish or bugs or whatever it is.

You just want -- you want gasoline, and there's a shortage, and you're not part of the crew, that is deemed essential.

So you get no gasoline. This -- this is -- you know everybody complains about socialized. -- or, you know about free market health care.

First of all, we don't have free market health care. We haven't had free market health care, in a very long time. Government is all over it. Now with Obamacare, it's worse.

However, this is the point. Look at what's happening now, with Canada.

Canada actually said to a Canadian veteran, who just needed -- she's like probably 40, she couldn't walk up her stairs anymore.

Because of the pain. So she calls Veterans Affairs, and they say -- she says, I just wanted one of those chair things that go up the stairs.

She said, that they told her. And she's not the only one. We can assist you in suicide, if it's just so bad. She's like, what!

This is what's happening.

CAROL: Yeah.

GLENN: You'll have no options. No options.

CAROL: You will own nothing. They'll put it out there. And like you said, the word I wanted to key in from what you were talking about earlier. Was essential.

Because this is what they did to us in 2020. They said, some of us were essential. Some of us were not essential. So it's not like we don't have a case study, that's less than a couple of years old, to say that they will pick winners and losers. They will do that based on political clout and connections.

And guess who will not be in that inner circle? Probably everybody listening to the program. Including you and me. So this is an epic, epic disaster. And this is something everybody should be writing their representatives and senators. Saying, absolutely not. This is a complete affront to our freedoms.

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