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Glenn's Show Prep

Entrepreneurs Will Make Business Great Again – so What Are You Waiting For?

November 21, 2017
Staff

WRITER

Have you thought about starting your own business? Entrepreneur and author Michael Sonnenfeldt had some encouraging advice for you on today’s show.

The economy is still upside-down with more businesses shuttering than new businesses starting, but every entrepreneur with a bright idea who is willing to put in the work can change that.

Founder and chair of the learning network TIGER 21, Sonnenfeldt recently published the book “Think Bigger: And 39 Other Winning Strategies from Successful Entrepreneurs.”

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

DOC: Hi there. It's Doc Thompson in for Glenn. Regularly heard on TheBlaze Radio network. More information on me by going to TheBlazeRadio.com. Throughout my morning broadcast, we have a couple running themes, and things we like to do. And one of them is to promote America and the idea of entrepreneurship, day in and day out. It's been one of the keys to America's success. And I think it's also one of the keys to returning America to some of the past glory we've had. Some of the economic success. If you've paid attention and looked at studies over the last 20, 30 years, our level of freedom has dropped. Our economic power has dropped.

Our educational standards have dropped. And they continue to. Now, we had built up so much steam in the previous couple of hundred years, that we had a long way to drop. And some of these categories, we still are competitive.

But it's going to keep dropping, unless we do something.

Dance with the one that brung you. And what brought us to where we are is freedom. Free markets. Entrepreneurship.

Something that we have boiled down to the entrepreneurial spirit, dreaming and doing.

Lots of people dream. You probably dream every day. You drive down the street and you're like, you know, I've always wanted to open that hot dog stand. I've always wanted to go and do this. I've always wanted to start that company that does this. And you don't do it.

But for some, they're actually driven, obsessed, passionate about something, where that idea grows and grows. That they just have to act on it. And they do.

Many times, failing. You know the stories of people like Milton Hershey, who start company after company after company, before they started. You know the story, Edison and the lightbulb, trying 5,000 times before he found the right filament for the incandescent lightbulb, or whatever the reason, they're just driven to do.

We need to teach that. We need to grow that. We need to understand it. So how can I help you? Well, one of the biggest challenges we face when starting a company, even if it's just a side business to supplement your business for your family, is marketing. Is promotion.

How do you get attention without having millions of dollars to advertise and cut through? Well, once you get some attention, a little bit of the word out there, you know, it can grow. Word of mouth. It's such a good idea, product, or idea or service, that it can grow.

Well, how do you start? Well, social media, great. There's a million other people trying as well.

Well, on our morning broadcast, we offer people some free airtime. Free. Just to promote their products. We call it Building America.

In fact, if you go on Twitter and look up the #buildingAmerica, you can go back and find great products and services.

Sometimes, those people have such success, they end up becoming advertisers on our program. Sometimes they don't. But we try to help them.

And along the way, our listeners get some good content. They get to hear about good products and services. They hopefully get to hear about companies and a good story about how they started.

I mean, how many movies have been made about people who started companies and -- and musicians and actors, and how they made it, and their climb and rise to fame. Well, you get a good story along the way and hopefully some inspiration.

We are just days away from Black Friday, one of the biggest capitalist days of the year in America, where everybody runs out, their retailers and start buying things. And then cyber Monday, a little under a week from now. We're at the time of year where a lot of people in the retail world make their money. It sets them up for the next year, or don't.

So this Friday, as I fill in on the Glenn Beck Program, as I've done in the last couple of years, I'm going to extend my Building America idea for my morning broadcast, and I'm going to offer you free airtime on Glenn Beck's program, as long as he doesn't stop me.

And as far as I know, he's held up in a bunker somewhere right now, roasting a turkey. As long as he doesn't stop me, I'm going to give away free commercials on this program, and all you have to do is call up Friday morning, and I'll give you 60 seconds to promote your business.

Now, if you don't get through, still use the #buildingAmerica, and tell us about your business, products, or services. And if you hear good stuff and you don't remember, look it up, #buildingAmerica. That's my commitment to you. How can I help you promote your business? How can we together grow America and again become leaders in the world of development, entrepreneurs, and just fostering good ideas?

Joining me now is Michael Sonnenfeldt, author of Think Bigger and Thirty-Nine Other Winning Strategies From Successful Entrepreneurs. He's also the founder of TIGER 21 Investment Group.

Hi, Michael, how are you, sir?

MICHAEL: Great. Thanks for having me, Doc.

DOC: I enjoyed having you so much on my morning broadcast a few months back. I'm like, I've got to get you on this week as we start talking about entrepreneurs. I don't know if you could hear me discussing just now before I -- before I went to you, the idea of entrepreneurship. And it's just so lost in America now.

MICHAEL: Yeah. You know, there's an interesting study of all-time low rates of formation between 25 and 30-year-olds of entrepreneurship. And in the last five years, we had three years where business deaths exceeded business births. And the one that's most interesting is the average new company today employs 25 percent fewer people than a new company did a decade ago. That may be because of technology, but it all leads to the crisis that we're having in creating working and middle class jobs that we so desperately want.

DOC: You know, it's funny too, we look around and see all the other problems, whether it's crime or shiplessness, or whatever it is. You know, one of the things that gets you out of that is when you have something you can feel passionate about. When you have a reason to get up in the morning. So you have this idea, and you start that cookie company or whatever it is. If you're young, I don't even think they get the joy that can come out of creating something.

MICHAEL: Yeah, it's so interesting. Because, you know, we're facing a crisis that's unique in human history. Some people believe that technology is now advancing so that for the first time, 20 percent of everybody might be able to build everything that's needed for 100 percent. What are we going to do with the other 80 percent of people?

And we have this middle class and working class problem. We have low unemployment. But we have even low rates of participation. So the low unemployment masks it. And the problem isn't China or India or Mexico. It's computerization. Automation. Artificial intelligence.

And these are really where the job stresses are. Take Amazon. Fantastic company. Puts a shopping center on everybody's desk. But 46 percent of retail jobs have disappeared in the last decade. And we have automation coming with cars and autonomous driving. And with all of these changes, the only thing that's going to save us is entrepreneurs creating new and exciting companies that employ the next generation of working and middle class folks.

DOC: Yeah. And it's not just the company. It's creating, you know -- from ideas, products or, you know, that eventually may be gobbled up by the big guys or done more efficiently. But it is about ideas.

That's one of the things that makes us human is thinking and then dreaming and then sharing.

MICHAEL: Yeah. In fact, one of the things that's most concerning for me is there's a proposal called universal income. The idea is if technology is taking all the jobs, maybe we should pay people just to do nothing. And I can't think of a worse program, precisely because of what you're talking about. People want to work. They want to be productive. And they want to have a society in which they can be productive. The last thing I want to do is give people money not to work. Use all those dollars, if they're going to be spent on creating great jobs and infrastructure in our country. But don't pay people not to work.

DOC: No, it doesn't work. Trust me, I have members of my family and some of my producers I pay, and they do nothing, and it's a failed process.

KRIS: Excuse me.

DOC: Look, they do very little.

So, Michael, how do we, first of all, inspire? I think telling stories helps. But how do we inspire? What would some of these successful entrepreneurs say?

MICHAEL: You know, first of all, successful entrepreneurs -- the title of the book Think Bigger -- comes because the great entrepreneurs just naturally constantly think bigger. They go from one falling ladder to the next. They have this grit that keeps them going.

So part of it is personality. And one of the things I just want to stress is not everybody is cut out to be an entrepreneur. You have to have a certain kind of fortitude. And if your career anchor is security, you probably shouldn't be an entrepreneur, because there's a lot of risks.

But most entrepreneurs start a business because they have an idea for a product our a service. It's not just to make money. They're passionate about making a difference, about delivering something. Doing something better.

So I think coming up with these ideas, look around, everywhere you turn, you can do something better if you think about it and envision it. And sometimes we get confused. Because you mentioned Edison, but you could have said Apple.

DOC: Yeah.

MICHAEL: These are the inventory entrepreneurs, but not all businesses are inventor entrepreneurs. Take Five Guys hamburgers, 2500 franchises.

DOC: It's incredible.

MICHAEL: They just felt that they could make a better hamburger, that was the best quality. And they didn't want to focus on anything, but the food. So the stores are red and white tile. They spent the least amount of money possible, and put everything into making the best food and the best hamburger. And in poll after poll, they're voted, you know, best hamburger in the community.

DOC: They do great, yeah, they're good.

MICHAEL: So that's just one of thousands of stories of people who have these ideas. One of the stories I like is, in the book, I feature, Robert Oranger (phonetic), who is fascinated by diabetes and helping people with diabetes do better in their lives and lead normal lives. And lo and behold, in the weird irony of life, he has two kids who end up having diabetes, and now he's able to provide a life for his kids with better products and new innovations that give them a completely normal life. And they're doing great.

DOC: It's funny because I extend the entrepreneurial spirit even to things that aren't, you know, traditionally entrepreneurs. You think entrepreneurs meaning capital, free markets, you know, for profit. Even people that have ideas for nonprofits, it's -- you know, it still takes that passion, number one, or an idea, and then number two, that you actually step off a safe ground at some point and try it.

MICHAEL: You know, you're so write. One of the pleasures of having written Think Bigger, is that a lot of social entrepreneurs, that's who you're talking about, are reading it. And we found that it exhibits many of the same challenges when you're a social entrepreneur. You're starting with nothing. One way or another, you have to raise the capital.

You have to have an idea, and you have to throw it out into the competitive landscape. And you have to have people get by.

And whether you're, you know, running a community center or you have an idea to help people make -- get healthier or running a hospital or a for-profit business, you need many of the same skills that it takes to be successful.

DOC: And you've certainly had your share of businesses as well. Tell us about TIGER 21. What is that?

MICHAEL: Sure. TIGER 21 is the premier network, I think in the world today of first-generation wealth creators that have been enormously successful. So today we have 580 of the top entrepreneurs from across North America. We just opened in London. And our first meeting in Hong Kong is coming up this month. And these members join together in groups of 12 to 15, totally confidential settings. And these are people who are so successful, they're about one in 10,000, by -- by level of success.

And the group as a whole manages tens of billions of dollars of assets. We're not a manager. Each member manages their own assets. But when you sell your business and you now become a wealth preserver, that's a completely new challenge. An entrepreneur is totally different than an investor. Entrepreneurs milk one opportunity for everything it has. It's like their child. They don't want to give it up. An investor is dispassionate and has a price for everything they want to sell. And you could be a great investor and a lousy entrepreneur, or a great entrepreneur and a mediocre investor. And this is the place where we have a personal board of directors. And each member looks around the table to peers whose only objective is to help one another. It's totally confidential. People are totally vetted. We don't want any skunks in the room.

DOC: It's a great idea.

MICHAEL: And it's just magic what people can do when they're learning from one another and teaching what they know to one another.

DOC: It's a fantastic idea. I'll tweet out a link to it. It's TIGER21.com. And that's the number 21. Not spelled out. TIGER21.com. And I'll also tweet out a link to your Twitter account. It's MWSonnenfeldt, is that right?

MICHAEL: Exactly.

DOC: All right. Michael, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

MICHAEL: Thanks for having me. Have a great day.

DOC: Michael Sonnenfeldt, author of Thinker Bigger and Thirty-Nine Other Winning Strategies From Successful Entrepreneurs and also founder of TIGER 21.

WWIII: The new face of war

Oleg Nikishin / Stringer | Getty Images

Has World War III begun?

Over the weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel involving over 300 missiles and drones. This marked the first direct attack on Israel originating from Iranian territory. Fortunately, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, 99 percent of missiles and drones were successfully neutralized by Israeli defense systems. Iran claimed that the operation against Israel had concluded and that no further offensive was planned, although the possibility of another attack is still present.

This has left many people, including Glenn, wondering the same thing: did we just witness the start of World War III?

Glenn recently had a World War II Air Force Veteran as a guest on his TV special, who told stories of the horrors he and his brothers-in-arms faced in the skies over war-torn Europe. This was a timely reminder of the terrors of war and a warning that our future, if it leads to another world war, is a dark one.

But, if Glenn's coverage of the Iranian attack revealed one thing, it's that World War III will look nothing like the world wars of the twentieth century. Long gone are the days of John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his "Bloody Hundredth" bravely flying their B-17s into battle. Over the weekend, we saw hundreds of autonomous drones and missiles clashing with extreme speed and precision over several different fronts (including space) simultaneously. This ain't your grandfather's war.

From EMP strikes to cyber attacks, here are FIVE ways the face of war has changed:

EMP attacks

New York Daily News Archive / Contributor | Getty Images

The entire modern world, on every level, is completely dependent on electricity. From your home refrigerator to international trade, the world would come to a grinding halt without power. And as Glenn has pointed out, it wouldn't even be that hard to pull off. All it would take is 3 strategically placed, high-altitude nuclear detonations and the entire continental U.S. would be without power for months if not years. This would cause mass panic across the country, which would be devastating enough on its own, but the chaos could be a perfect opportunity for a U.S. land invasion.

Nuclear strikes

Galerie Bilderwelt / Contributor | Getty Images

Nuclear war is nothing new. Many of us grew up during the Cold War, built fallout shelters, and learned to duck and cover. But times have changed. The Berlin Wall fell and so did the preparedness of the average American to weather a nuclear attack. As technology has advanced, more of our adversaries than ever have U.S. cities within their crosshairs, and as Glenn has pointed out, these adversaries are not exactly shy about that fact. Unfortunately, the possibility of an atomic apocalypse is as real as ever.

Immigration warfare

Nick Ut / Contributor | Getty Images

The strategy of strangling an opposing nation's economy to gain the upper hand is a wartime tactic as old as time. That's why the Border Crisis is so alarming. What better way to damage an opponent's economy than by overburdening it with millions of undocumented immigrants? As Glenn has covered, these immigrants are not making the trek unaided. There is a wide selection of organizations that facilitate this growing disaster. These organizations are receiving backing from around the globe, such as the WEF, the UN, and U.S. Democrats! Americans are already feeling the effects of the border crisis. Imagine how this tactic could be exploited in war.

Cyber shutdowns

Bill Hinton / Contributor | Getty Images

Cyber attacks will be a major tactic in future wars. We've already experienced relatively minor cyber strikes from Russia, China, and North Korea, and it is a very real possibility that one of our adversaries inflicts a larger attack with devastating consequences on the United States. In fact, the WEF has already predicted a "catastrophic" cyber attack is imminent, and Glenn suggests that it is time to start preparing ourselves. A cyber attack could be every bit as devastating as an EMP, and in a world run by computers, nothing is safe.

Biological assault

WPA Pool / Pool | Getty Images

Don't trust the "experts." That was the takeaway many of us had from the pandemic, but something less talked about is the revelation that China has manufactured viruses that are capable of spreading across the globe. We now know that the lab leak hypothesis is true and that the Wuhan lab manufactured the virus that infected the entire world. That was only ONE virus from ONE lab. Imagine what else the enemies of America might be cooking up.

The government is WAGING WAR against these 3 basic needs

NICHOLAS KAMM / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has launched a full-on assault against our basic needs, and people are starting to take notice.

As long-time followers of Glenn are probably aware, our right to food, water, and power is under siege. The government no longer cares about our general welfare. Instead, our money lines the pockets of our politicians, funds overseas wars, or goes towards some woke-ESG-climate-Great Reset bullcrap. And when they do care, it's not in a way that benefits the American people.

From cracking down on meat production to blocking affordable power, this is how the government is attacking your basic needs:

Food

Fiona Goodall / Stringer | Getty Images

Glenn had Rep. Thomas Massie on his show where he sounded the alarm about the attack on our food. The government has been waging war against our food since the thirties when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. They started by setting strict limits on how many crops a farmer could grow in a season and punishing anyone who grew more—even if it was intended for personal use, not for sale on the market. This sort of autocratic behavior has continued into the modern day and has only gotten more draconian. Today, not only are you forced to buy meat that a USDA-approved facility has processed, but the elites want meat in general off the menu. Cow farts are too dangerous to the environment, so the WEF wants you to eat climate-friendly alternatives—like bugs.

Water

ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO / Contributor | Getty Images

As Glenn discussed during a recent Glenn TV special, the government has been encroaching on our water for years. It all started when Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which gave the government the ability to regulate large bodies of water. As the name suggests, the act was primarily intended to keep large waterways clear of pollution, but over time it has allowed the feds to assume more and more control over the country's water supply. Most recently, the Biden administration attempted to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act to include even more water and was only stopped by the Supreme Court.

Electricity

David McNew / Staff | Getty Images

Dependable, affordable electricity has been a staple of American life for decades, but that might all be coming to an end. Glenn has discussed recent actions taken by Biden, like orders to halt new oil and gas production and efforts to switch to less efficient sources of power, like wind or solar, the price of electricity is only going to go up. This, alongside his efforts to limit air conditioning and ban gas stoves, it almost seems Biden is attempting to send us back to the Stone Age.

4 signs that PROVE Americans are hitting rock bottom

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

As we approach the presidential election in November, many Americans are facing dire economic straits.

Glenn has shown time and time again that Bidenomics is a sham, and more Americans than ever are suffering as a result. Still, Biden and his cronies continue to insist that the economy is booming despite the mounting evidence to the contrary. But who is Biden fooling? Since the beginning of the year, gas has gone up an average of 40 cents a gallon nationwide, with some states seeing as much as a 60-cent per gallon increase. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Foreclosures and bankruptcies are on the rise, evictions are surging, and America is experiencing a record amount of homelessness. We can't survive another Biden term.

Americans across the country are hitting rock bottom, and here are four stats that PROVE it:

Evictions

John Moore / Staff | Getty Images

Across the country, people are being evicted from their homes and apartments. Between 2021 and 2023, evictions increased by 78.6 percent. With inflation driving up prices and employers struggling to raise wages to compensate, rent is taking up an increasingly larger percentage of people's paychecks. Many Americans are having to choose between buying groceries and paying rent.

Foreclosures

Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Renters aren't the only ones struggling to make their monthly payments, foreclosures are on the rise. This February saw a 5 percent increase in foreclosures from last year and a 10 percent increase from January. More and more Americans are losing their homes and businesses.

Bankruptcies

Chris Hondros / Staff | Getty Images

High interest rates and inflation have driven bankruptcies through the roof. Total filings have risen 13 percent and business bankruptcies rose 30 percent in 2023. It's getting harder and harder for businesses to stay afloat, and with California's new law requiring most restaurants to pay all employees a minimum of $20 an hour, you can expect that number to keep climbing.

Homelessness

FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor | Getty Images

The result of all of these issues is that it is getting harder and harder for Americans to afford the basic necessities. January of 2023 saw a record-breaking 650,000+ homeless Americans, a 12 percent jump from the previous year. More Americans have hit rock bottom than ever before.

Stop blaming Gen Z for the problems WE created

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

I want to talk to Generation Z. I’ve seen some clips of you complaining about your 9-to-5 jobs on social media and how life is really hard right now. To be honest, my first reaction was, “Suck it up, buttercup. This is what life is really like.” In a sense, that’s true. But in another sense, I think you’re getting a bad rap. You are facing unique problems that my generation didn’t face — problems that my generation had a hand in creating.

But I also think you don’t understand the cause of these problems.

I would hate to be in your position. When I was your age, we didn’t have to deal with any of the challenges you’re facing. In one sense, your life has been tough. At the same time, compared to previous generations, your life has been very easy. Everybody was rushing to save you, to protect you. You were coddled, which makes your life harder now.

You’ve grown up with social media and the definition of narcissism: somebody gazing into the pond looking at themselves all the time. I don't mean this as an offense, and I am not just including you in this. We’ve become a culture of narcissists. It’s all about “me, me, me, me.”

If you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework.

You’ve been in territory that my generation never had to enter. You’ve already navigated a landscape that we didn't have to, where nothing is true, and you can’t trust anybody. I wouldn’t trust anybody either if I were in your position. But I do know a few things to be true and a couple of things I can trust.

First, life is worth it. Life is tough, but it is worth it in the end.

Second, life is not about stuff. As a guy who is kind of a pack rat, I can tell you that none of that stuff will create happiness in your life. In fact, I think your generation has a better handle on happiness in some ways than anybody in mine. You’re starting to realize that pharmaceuticals may not be as good as natural solutions in a lot of situations, that the huge house may not be as satisfying as just having a smaller house, that living your life instead of having to work all the time may be a better way to live.

I want to talk to those of you who feel like it’s not worth even trying to go to work because you’ll never get anywhere. You work 40 hours a week or more, and you still can't afford a place to live. You’re still living with your parents. You can’t afford food. I think you're right to feel frustrated because the problems you're facing weren't always the case.

I blame a lot of the current problems we’re facing today on the hippies. That may be wrong, but I hate hippies. Hippies have been screwing things up since the 1960s. While on their socialist march, they have become everything that they said they were against: lying, greedy politicians. They just won’t let go of their power even though their time has passed.

These are the people who have come up with policies that make you feel like this is the way the world is. I hope I can convince you that it doesn’t have to be this way. This isn’t the way our country has always been. We don’t have to keep these people in power. Actions have consequences. Votes have consequences. These people allow crime, looters, squatters, riots, and somebody needs to pay for that.

You say you can’t afford health care. I understand. Since Obamacare passed, the cost of individual health insurance has doubled. You need to remember that politicians promised that if we passed this massive health care overhaul, it would mean a savings of $2,500 per family. You're in school. You must know that $2,500 savings is not the same as an 80% increase. Moreover, the cost of hospital stays is up 210%. I understand when you say you can't afford health care at these costs. Who could afford health care? Who could afford insurance?

The generation coming of age is right to feel frustrated.This mess — with high costs and a massive debt burden — was not of their making.

Iwant to talk to Generation Z. I’ve seen some clips of you complaining about your 9-to-5 jobs on social media and how life is really hard right now. To be honest, my first reaction was, “Suck it up, buttercup. This is what life is really like.” In a sense, that’s true. But in another sense, I think you’re getting a bad rap. You are facing unique problems that my generation didn’t face — problems that my generation had a hand in creating.

But I also think you don’t understand the cause of these problems.

If you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework.

I would hate to be in your position. When I was your age, we didn’t have to deal with any of the challenges you’re facing. In one sense, your life has been tough. At the same time, compared to previous generations, your life has been very easy. Everybody was rushing to save you, to protect you. You were coddled, which makes your life harder now.

You’ve grown up with social media and the definition of narcissism: somebody gazing into the pond looking at themselves all the time. I don't mean this as an offense, and I am not just including you in this. We’ve become a culture of narcissists. It’s all about “me, me, me, me.”

You’ve been in territory that my generation never had to enter. You’ve already navigated a landscape that we didn't have to, where nothing is true, and you can’t trust anybody. I wouldn’t trust anybody either if I were in your position. But I do know a few things to be true and a couple of things I can trust.

First, life is worth it. ≈

Second, life is not about stuff. As a guy who is kind of a pack rat, I can tell you that none of that stuff will create happiness in your life. In fact, I think your generation has a better handle on happiness in some ways than anybody in mine. You’re starting to realize that pharmaceuticals may not be as good as natural solutions in a lot of situations, that the huge house may not be as satisfying as just having a smaller house, that living your life instead of having to work all the time may be a better way to live.

I want to talk to those of you who feel like it’s not worth even trying to go to work because you’ll never get anywhere. You work 40 hours a week or more, and you still can't afford a place to live. You’re still living with your parents. You can’t afford food. I think you're right to feel frustrated because the problems you're facing weren't always the case.

I blame a lot of the current problems we’re facing today on the hippies. That may be wrong, but I hate hippies. Hippies have been screwing things up since the 1960s. While on their socialist march, they have become everything that they said they were against: lying, greedy politicians. ≈

These are the people who have come up with policies that make you feel like this is the way the world is. I hope I can convince you that it doesn’t have to be this way. This isn’t the way our country has always been. We don’t have to keep these people in power. Actions have consequences. Votes have consequences. These people allow crime, looters, squatters, riots, and somebody needs to pay for that.

If you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework.

You say you can’t afford health care. I understand. Since Obamacare passed, the cost of individual health insurance has doubled. You need to remember that politicians promised that if we passed this massive health care overhaul, it would mean a savings of $2,500 per family. You're in school. You must know that $2,500 savings is not the same as an 80% increase. Moreover, the cost of hospital stays is up 210%. I understand when you say you can't afford health care at these costs. Who could afford health care? Who could afford insurance?

You are also starting your life with thousands of dollars in debt. Your parents didn't have that burden. People used to be able to work their way through college and graduate debt-free. Others were able to get jobs that quickly paid off their debt. You can't do that now. Once the government said that they were going to guarantee all student loans, university costs skyrocketed, and it hasn't stopped. You can thank the progressive President Lyndon B. Johnson for that.

The people who created this mess cannot fix it. But it can be fixed.

You are also starting your life with thousands of dollars in debt. Your parents didn't have that burden. People used to be able to work their way through college and graduate debt-free. Others were able to get jobs that quickly paid off their debt. You can't do that now. Once the government said that they were going to guarantee all student loans, university costs skyrocketed, and it hasn't stopped. You can thank the progressive President Lyndon B. Johnson for that.

Once the government said that they were going to guarantee everybody’s college tuition, universities found out that they could just charge more because the government would give you virtually any amount in your loan. And they have been charging more and more ever since. In 1965, the average college tuition was $450 a year. Adjusted to inflation, that's $4,000 a year. You're currently paying an average of $26,000 a year as opposed to the inflation-adjusted $4,000.

What happened? The answer is always the same: government regulations. Gas is up. Why? Government regulations. Can't afford a house? Well, that's due to several things. Many of them revolve around the fed and our national debt. But the simple answer is the same: government regulations.

Moreover, the U.S. government has run a staggering national debt. We have been concerned about it forever, but the people in power haven't been listening to your mom and dad and people like me. A lot of other people just thought, "Oh, well. We could get away with it. We're the United States of America, after all. Somehow or another, it will all work out."

People like me have been saying, "No. We can't pass this on to our children." You're now seeing what we have passed on. When you say that the adults are responsible for creating this world of problems, in some ways, you’re right. We were lied to, and as many people do, they want to believe the lie because it makes them feel better.

There are big lies being pushed in your generation as well. You're being told that a man is a woman and a woman is a man. At the same time, you’re being told that gender doesn't even exist at all. It makes us feel better to go along with the lie because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

My generation believed the same kind of lie about our national debt. We were told that we could spend all this money on subsidized programs because it would provide you, our children, with a better life. Some people warned, "Wait, how will they pay this off? This will cost them." We didn't want to believe them. The lie sounded better, and it was easier to believe that than the truth. We never saw the consequences, and even if we did, they were always way out in the future. Nobody wanted to listen to the doomsday people saying, "No. It's going to come faster than you think."

And that time is right now. Our government now is printing $1 trillion every 100 days. That's never been done before. We have more debt than any country has ever had in the history of the world. But we’re not alone. Every country is doing this. They’re going into debt like we’ve never seen before, and we’re all about to pay for that. It’s going to make your life even harder.

There are Democrats and Republicans who still believe in spending all kinds of money and getting us involved in every global conflict. Then there are constitutional conservatives who believe that we should conserve the things that have worked and throw out the things that don’t and follow our Constitution and Bill of Rights. You haven't really learned about those most likely. But you should. All of our problems are caused by the government and the people who feel they can bypass the Constitution. That's what this election is really all about.

You might say, “I don’t really care. I don’t like either of the political parties.” I know a lot of people who don’t like either of them, but one is going to try to cut the size of this government and one is going to spend us into collapse.

The people who created this mess cannot fix it. But it can be fixed. You need to learn enough about the truth, about why this has happened to us, and about how our Constitution lasted longer than any other Constitution in the world. The average is 17 years. This thing has lasted hundreds of years. Why? How? And why is it falling apart today? That's what you should dedicate some of your time to figuring out today.

You can complain about the way things are. I complain. Everybody complains. But don't wallow there. Learn what caused this. And if you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework. They always end the same way, and that's exactly where we're headed right now. We can either repeat the dreadful past of nations that have tried it before us, or we can choose freedom, liberty, and prosperity. The ball is in our court.