RADIOMarch 18, 2022

Why are woke CEOs using ESG to DESTROY our free market?

Americans already have trust issues. But now, woke CEOs are making it worse. Business leaders of major corporations often are in support of far-left measures publicly but say the opposite behind closed doors. And because so many leaders in society are too afraid to take a stand, ESG — the ‘largest social credit scoring system in human history’ — is destroying our free market. Vivek Ramaswamy, author of ‘Woke, Inc.,’ joins Glenn to discuss how the Great Reset, ESG, and the ‘ideological cartels’ pushing such measures are seeping into societies around the world faster than you may think. Plus. Ramaswamy explains what he believes will be the defining political struggle of our time — something he calls the ‘Great Uprising’ — and it’s NOT about political parties…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Hello, America. And welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. There is a massive lie that you're being told. And that is that ESG and the great reset is not what you think it is. It's not what these crazy people say it is.

Well, those crazy people that say what it really is, are the people that are at the top of the food chain. The elites that have put it together, and put it into action.

And, you know, when we were working on this ESG legislation, up in -- up in Idaho. We were working with 20 different states.

Idaho folded like the a cheap suit. And it's because the lobbyists are coming out. And they're spending a fortune, to lobby against anyone who is trying to pass any kind of legislation against ESG.

It's a lie, when they say, oh, no. This is just the free market. No, it's not. No, it's not.

It's the opposite of the free market. It is 21st century fascism. Vivek Ramaswamy is with us. He's the author of Woke, Inc.

And, Vivek, I wanted to get you on, because you had a couple of really good articles and tweets lately. And I just kind of wanted to mine this and have you explain what you mean by this. I wish CEOs would say in public, what they say in private, about their views on ESG, and DEI. It would go a long way towards restoring our trust in leaders.

ESG represents the greatest social credit scoring system, in human history. Wow.

Welcome to the program. You want to go into that?

VIVEK: Yeah. Absolutely, Glenn. Thanks for having me. And I'm really glad that a voice like yours is on top of what I feel is a defining issue of our time.

GLENN: Amen.

VIVEK: Which is the use of the private sector to do through the back door, what governments cannot do through the front door.

That is what -- I call this the three-letter acronomized version of capitalism. Some call it ESG. Some will say TEI. Some will say CCR. Behind it all, is the CCP.

But whatever three-letter acronym you prefer, it's actually the definition of modern crony capitalism, which works in reverse.

It's not the companies bribing the government to do their work. It's also the government bribing companies in return, to do their work back for them.

And so, you know, look, I'm an author. I've written these books. But I've also been a CEO. Right? I'm a founder and CEO, fortunately of a multi-billion-dollar company.

I was a hedge fund partner for years before that. I wasn't born (inaudible) in America, but I've lived it for the last 15 years. I know how the game is played.

I will tell you, I had lunch with the CEO of one of the largest companies in his industry. And it was actually the day that I put out that first tweet.

I was so frustrated coming out of it. I felt like his therapist the whole time. Where he had read my book. And wanted to complain to me, about all the things that he had to go through. He's the CEO of the company, mind you.

Yet, at the end of the day, actually I look at some of the statements he had been making. It's a carbon footprint of diversity and inclusion must be part of our agenda. ESG is a part of our future.

It's clear to me, he doesn't mean the things he's saying. But the actual loss of public trust in many ways, comes from the fact, that even when the words are coming out of the CEO's mouth, whether you're on the right or the left, you know you can't believe them. That's what I meant by that. That particular remark.

GLENN: It is truly terrifying. When I was working against these lobbyists. Small banks. Local banks. Were coming to the -- the representatives in the state. And saying, please. I cannot say this out loud.

But please, pass anti-ESG legislation. Or we're all toast.

Please, pass this. People are not willing to say it out loud. And that's killing us. It's killing us.

VIVEK: That's the culture of feature. And to me, the best measure of any democracy, especially the American democracy, are the percentage of people, are willing to say what they actually think in public.

When there's no doubt, that we're doing worse than any time that I can remember in my lifetime on that metric.

Because we have combined the use of economic force, with the normative questions that we settle through a democracy. And so you look at democracy. You're supposed to settle questions through persuasion and free speech and open debate in the public square.

Maybe you and I would have one view on climate change and appropriate policy towards it, and maybe somebody else would have a different view. Or how do we correct for racial injustice? Somebody else has a different view, great.

In democracy, we talk in the open, in the civic sphere and persuade each other with ESG and the related stakeholder capitalist movement do.

They substitute economic force, fire in you, excluding you from the economy. Et cetera. They use that force, as a substitute for free speech and open debate.

And the ESG movement, in particular, uses the force of capital ownership in companies to do it. Where you have an ideological cartel of $20 trillion in the hands of the top three asset managers in the country.

BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard. That go to the top companies in this country. Show up as the shareholder, and say that, we are the shareholders. We want you to implement diversity, equity, inclusion.

Cut your carbon emissions. If you're an oil company, stop producing oil.

But guess what, the people whose money they're using to wield that power, are your listeners. Are me. Are you. Are everyday Americans, whose money is being weaponized back against them, in ways that would make their blood boil. If they actually knew what was going on.

We're teaching them what's going on.

GLENN: That's why -- well, that's why it is so frustrating.

We just had a secretary of -- or, the State Treasurer of Idaho, fold. And take a tough ESG bill. And just put one in it, without any teeth. And the whole idea was, don't invest in places like BlackRock. That are working against the people of our state.

By --

VIVEK: Is this Julie Ellsworth you're talking about?

GLENN: Why do you ask?

VIVEK: Oh, it was the State Treasurer of Idaho you're mentioning.

GLENN: Yeah. Do you know her?

VIVEK: I mean, I spoke to a conference of the State Treasurers a couple months ago, and most of them were in the audience. And I was explaining to them, look. It's not BlackRock's money. It's not your money either. It is the money of your citizens.

GLENN: Thank you.

VIVEK: That ultimately, actually finds their way into the public's fist, which in turn, finds its way into the fist of BlackRock. Which then uses that money to vote those shares and to whisper campaign into the ears of the top 500 CEOs of the country to say, this is what we, as the investors, want, betraying the idea that it's not the State Treasurer's money. Actually, it's not the BlackRock manager's money. It is the money of those everyday citizens. Here's what I will say about State Treasurers. Is many of their hearts are in the right place. Actually, many of them are starting to wake up to the phenomenon, because they're hearing from their constituents.

GLENN: Many are.

VIVEK: Unlike BlackRock's CEO, unlike Larry Fink, they are politically accountable, and that is a good thing. That is how a democracy works. So that mechanism of political accountability, has caused them to wake up.

But they're also accountable to the force of dollars through lobbying and political contributions that pull them at the other direction.
But I think at the end of the day, they're accountable to the people.

And what we need to educate people on, is the fact that it is their own money, that they get to vote as well.

Not just vote every November at the ballot box. But their second vote and their third vote comes from the capital they spend, the way their shares are voted in the marketplace of corporate America. And I think that that tide is getting ready to shift.

So I'm optimistic, that even though many of these people -- it will take a lot of courage for the first few state treasurers to sort of jump into the deep end of the pool, and go the other way. But I think that that's what the people are demanding.

And the more we shine a sunlight on a problem, the more we make progress towards the solution. I'm personally working on creating alternatives in the marketplace, to provide consumers with actually bringing a voice to the table. I think that's the most important problem of our time.

GLENN: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I agree.

This is it. If this is implemented, we become China.

And it's over. The freedom that we have. The Constitution means nothing. And I think the best example of this. And people aren't tying this together.

We're not the ones that -- that have decided to go to war against Russia.

These sanctions, these are not governmental sanctions. This is ESG.

McDonald's pulling out, after they said they didn't want to, and then they -- they -- they announced, I thought this was amazing, that they had real reputational risk, that they had to consider. So they closed McDonald's.

These decisions are --

VIVEK: I'm glad, yes.

GLENN: These decisions are not being made through public pressure. They're not being made through our elected officials. They're not being made by voters, regular people. They are being made by the boardrooms, after they get the calls from the banks and the financial industry.

VIVEK: Exactly. And, you know what, this is how both sides are duped into submission. Liberals and conservatives.

Liberals used to be skeptical of corporate power. But they've accepted it as corporate powers, used to advance their own objectives.

We, conservatives, for our part, are duped into submission within because they say, that the free market can do no wrong.

Without recognizing, that free market does not exist today. And both sides are due to the rise of this woke industrial -- ESG industrial complex.

That's actually far more powerful than big government alone, because it can work with the private sector to do what big government cannot do.

I think you're -- I feel a little shy preaching to you. But I think the -- I think the defining political force of our time and struggle, is not left versus right, actually.

It is the everyday citizen, versus the managerial class. It's The Great Reset, which calls for dissolving the boundaries between institutions globally, and see those institutional leaders work together towards their vision of the common good, versus what I call the great uprising. Which is also a transnational movement of everyday citizens, who are beginning to say, no. We make those decisions in a democracy together.

It's our voice that matters, equally. To Larry Fink, or anyone else sitting in a corner office. And those two forces, Glenn, I believe are on a collision force.

You know, we won't see it in 2022. Because it's the let's go Brandon agenda or whatever. Partisan politics in the United States, that is boring to me.

But in the couple of years after, this is coming to a head. It's an existential question for democracies in the West.

And look, I'm on the side of the great uprising. I want to channel that energy in a productive direction.

GLENN: Me too.

VIVEK: And I think we can do that. And I think it's the most important question of our time.

GLENN: I just said, a couple minutes ago. Republicans, you better wake up to this right now.

Because the people will go -- if they don't find somebody, that is reasonable to lead them, and to tell them the truth, I'm telling you, both sides. Both sides. Of reasonable people, that work for a living.

I don't care how you voted. They're going to find out what this is all about. And they're going to be hurting financially.

And God help us. About to do help us.

We're headed for real trouble.

VIVEK: Amen.

GLENN: And, you know what, Vivek, you're the only person that I've heard that really talks about the whole world is in it.

We're so focused on ourselves, that we don't understand that Brexit is about the same kind of thing.

VIVEK: That's right. And the truckers in Canada.

GLENN: Yes.

VIVEK: Know the same thing in their bones, this is a trans partisan, transnational issue. And, you know what, I don't have much faith in the Republicans actually. I think, at the end of the day, most of them are institutionalists. Most of them are bought and sold, just like the other side.

GLENN: I don't either. Yeah.

VIVEK: That's why the partisan politics of this is boring. It misses the issue. It almost deflects the issue by retrofitting a model -- a historical model on to a phenomenon right now that is totally different.

It is the everyday citizen, versus the managerial class, and there are members of both parties in each task. You and I both spoke at CPAC. Tulsi Gabbard, she spoke at CPAC. She ran for president of the United States on the Democratic party ticket. She still was the best I could tell, from her comments, on the side of the everyday citizen. So there's people -- and God knows, there's a lot of Republicans on the side of the managerial class.

So I think we will need to rethink the boundaries, and I think it's everyday citizens versus managerial class. It is Great Reset versus great uprising.

That's the way we need to be recognizing, this beyond partisan, beyond national boundary issue.
And last point, I will make. Glenn, you're one of the few people, who I've heard, who put his finger on the international dimension of this. You just did it a little bit ago. But in China, it's really, really important to watch for. Because they understand, that capitalism, all right? Is the Trojan horse, through which they win the great power struggle.

If Greece would have never defeated Troy militarily, China will never defeat the United States militarily. But they have recognized that the ESG link movement, creates an opportunity to turn our multi-national companies based here, into Trojan horses, to undermine our own agenda from within.

I'll give you a very specific example. I can give you countless examples. But a recent one. For my book. Not from my book.

Is BlackRock.

Okay? They take three seats. Three changed seats on the board of Exxon.

Okay?

And they tell Exxon that you need to cut oil production. They call that ESG-friendly. Let's see what that's done for gas prices here. Let's see what it's done for our reliance on foreign producers of oil, one year later. But put that to one side.

You think those projects are still going to happen? Or will they not happen? Whatever you think about climate change and carbon emission. Those projects are still going to happen, and better positioned to take on those projects. Are going to be none other than the likes of PetroChina. Which can take on the projects, that -- and if we say who is an almost equally large shareholder of PetroChina. I'm sure you can guess. It's the same guys, who wanted us to cut oil production in the United States. BlackRock.

GLENN: Unbelievable. Unbelievable believable.

DAVID: So this is unbelievable. At the end of the day, China is able to use capital force from the terror market access, to the golden goose of the Chinese market, as a weapon, to get those same companies to weaken the United States within, by applying so-called ESG standards, without applying those same standards to China broad. So that's how they've been playing this game. And they're playing us like a Chinese mandolin, and it's working. But it will only work as long as we're not seeing it.

GLENN: Vivek, I would love to have you on again soon. You 100 percent get it, and your voice needs to be heard. Vivek Ramaswamy. He's the author of Woke, Inc.

If you haven't read it yet, you should get it. Great to talk to you, Vivek. We'll talk again hopefully soon.

Did Dave Chappelle SELL OUT to Saudi Arabia?

Comedian Dave Chappelle recently made headlines for making controversial comments about Charlie Kirk and free speech while at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Did he and other comedians sell out to Saudi Arabia by taking the gig, or is it just business? Comedian Bridget Phetasy joins Glenn to explain why she’s torn on this one…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: My good friend Bridget Phetasy, how are you?

BRIDGET: How are you?

First of all, just wanted to say, I'm so sorry, for your loss. You and Stu. And everybody at the Blaze. I know you're all --

GLENN: Well, thank you.

BRIDGET: It's not that far out. And I just wanted to say, I'm sorry.

GLENN: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.

BRIDGET: But I'm good, you know. Life is crazy.

GLENN: I know. Every time I talk to you, something new has happened, where I'm like, that's not the Bridget I know. That's not the Bridget I know.

I'm anxious to hear, where you stand on this Riyadh Comedy Festival.

BRIDGET: Oh, it's so interesting, isn't it? It reminds me -- I just keep thinking of that Ricky Gervais monologue that he did years ago. Where he said, if ICE started a streaming service, you would call your agent.

(laughter)
I mean, he has more relevance every year, that monologue that he did.

GLENN: Yeah.

BRIDGET: And I don't know, I think the comedians got too much, too, rich. And maybe we all need to -- I mean, I'm not rich like that. But maybe comedians in general just need to go back to being viewed as kind of dumb losers again.
(laughter)
I think -- I think some of these guys are out over their skis a little bit. And they got really huge. And now, I don't know.

Maybe this is a challenge for them, to push the limits.

Because they can say whatever they want. In America. To going to Saudi. As a little dangerous. A little titillating.

GLENN: I don't know.

They all have to sign documents that they wouldn't make fun of religion. Wouldn't make of Saudi Arabia. Wouldn't make fun of the royal family, et cetera, et cetera. My thought on this is, if we went to these same comedians and said, hey, we'll pay you the same amount of money. We want to do a Washington, DC, Trump comedy, you know, weekend. Would these guys have signed the same exact thing?

BRIDGET: No.

GLENN: No. They wouldn't have. They wouldn't have. And everybody would have been out of their mind crazy on the left. Saying, look at, Donald Trump wants to shut people down. Wants to shut down -- you can't make fun of his family. What -- that's -- you've got -- none of these comedians would have done that. None of them.

BRIDGET: Yeah. It's -- I'm not. I wouldn't have done it. And I'm not wealthy. But there's really no amount of money that you could have paid me to do that. Only because, I think, if I'm -- first of all, if I'm somebody out there screaming women. And screaming about the rights of women. And what -- how we should be fighting for people, like the women in Saudi Arabia. Who have no real voice. Or as many rights as we do, then it would be very hypocritical for me to go stand on the stages. And say whatever I want.

I also think, they're not -- they're getting paid to legitimatize these people.

They're getting -- that's what they're getting paid. The quotes that are coming out of there. Every quote I see. I was like, wow. The Saudis got their money's worth.

Like, oh, the royals loved it. You know, it's just like, if you're trying to -- trying to justify your appearance in Saudi Arabia, the -- the quote, the royals were very happy is not great coming out of your mouth.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

And you -- I love the fact. Again, Chappelle said, you know, what? America hasn't killed people. Yeah, the Saudi prince has killed people.

What? We haven't.

You know, please, give it a rest. Because you don't just write it off like that here in America.

You don't just, oh, yeah. So our government has just killed a few people. You won't. You will do it here, because ear getting a big paycheck.

BRIDGET: Yeah. I hear this argument a lot. How is this any different than the government. You can't fix that kind of stupid. I can't even -- I won't even deal with it. Because it's like listening to a 19-year-old in their first year of college who just smoked a bong. Okay. Saudi Arabia and America are the same. Tell me again about your anti-American thoughts. Like, all right.

Go live in Saudi Arabia then. Like, let me know how that works out for you. And when -- try making fun of the royal family. Try making fun of the journalists. Or -- or anything that they said that you can't make fun of.

Go -- go let me know how that works out for you.

And something more than the three days that you spent there -- I mean, a lot of it was -- it was -- it's like, oh. We -- they have McDonald's and Starbucks. This was some of the quotes coming from Bell. That I was kind of like, yeah. So this is like Tucker eating McDonald's in Russia.

Okay. We -- that doesn't mean that these places are the same.

GLENN: Yeah. Coca-Cola was -- Coca-Cola was served to the Nazis in Germany. Up until like 1942.

I mean, you know, and they were just like you. No. No. You're not. No, you're not.

That Coke bottle does not make you us.

BRIDGET: I don't know. I'm not sure what is going on. Again, I'm of many minds about this.

Because I have been at venture capitalist events, and the Saudis have been there. And I don't know. Why should Jared Kushner be allowed to make money with the Saudis and not the comedians.

GLENN: Right. That's kind of --

BRIDGET: Like you said in the opening. I mean, I think it's funny how much less the comedians got than the golfers. Pretty significantly. The golfers are getting tens of millions. The comedians are getting like hundreds of thousands to a million, to sell their soul out. And I don't know.

That's just -- that's also funny to me. I'm like, they offer the golfers a lot more than you guys.

GLENN: You know, the thing with -- you said it earlier. The hypocrisy. They don't understand. It's like they have -- they've never listened to that one of these things doesn't belong song on Sesame street.

With Jimmy Kimmel.

Listen to what Shane Gillis said about Jimmy Kimmel's return, listen.

VOICE: It's good to see everybody stick up for him, for free speech.

And I'm just glad they were all there for me back in the --

VOICE: I know.

VOICE: You know, he's my brother, in being cancelled now. You know, he was cancelled for 48 hours? Mine was a couple of years, but no big deal. What's the deal?

VOICE: Hold tight. Probably a very nice, kind of modern house on the hill in LA. Just sit there.

VOICE: You didn't see him, he didn't have to lay on a mattress in Queens, with two snarky roommates? That were like, did you write that apology?

Yeah. I could tell. What the (bleep).

BRIDGET: Oh, Shane, I love him so much. I just love him.

GLENN: I do.

BRIDGET: Yeah. I mean, look, I also feel. And I said this -- when it feels like the world is ending.

And everything is coming undone, I understand people just grabbing as much cash as they can. It's -- and look, some of these comedians were not hugely famous. And have been struggling for a long time. And like Shane mentions, you're sleeping on a mattress on the floor, for many, many years, before you even make it in comedy, if you even make it.

And so I don't know.

Like, get that bag. But you will have to hear about this forever.

This is -- this is going to -- there are people who I -- I don't think for some of these guys, it did real damage to their brand or whatever.

Some more than others.

STU: Bridget, I'm of two minds on this.

Because I get the criticism.

What we've been talking about. The stuff that Chappelle said, I don't like it. And I think it's kind of silly.

I also saw a lot of the pushback from the high-minded, I'm better than all of you people comedians.

BRIDGET: Yeah. I know.

STU: I saw David Cross did some of this. There's a bunch of people who did this.

GLENN: You're a big fan of David Cross.

STU: Oh, yeah. I'm a Mr. Show Junky from back in the day.

It's just like, okay. I get it. But I don't understand why there is a double standard for entertainers, in this world.

Like, you know, all sorts of American companies sell products, in these countries.

You know, as you mentioned tons of investors do business in Saudi Arabia.

And Saudi Arabia is if we know, this is not the Nazi regime.

We're not at war with them.

They're supposedly in some ways allies of ours.

And do the people of Saudi Arabia not get to laugh. Do they not get to go to comedy shows?

They can't have a festival in their country. Where people come and enjoy comedians? We've seen before.

GLENN: No. No.

Unless they're on giant bowing planes. That seemingly every resident owns one.

STU: Right. But we've seen cultural outreach like this before have positive influences.

Glenn and I were talking about this before off the air. And I checked it, Glenn, after we talked about it.

Billy Joel went over and did a concert in the Soviet Union. This was before the collapse. It was four years before the Soviet Union collapse.

GLENN: Was it really?

STU: I'm not saying that it's probably for had more high-minded than getting your bag.

I get it Bridget. But isn't there a weird double standard when it comes to entertainers. That they're supposed to somehow, I don't know. Change the entire regime's mind-set before they take a weekend gig.

I don't understand it?

BRIDGET: I -- I -- like I said, I'm of many minds about this.

Because I think that some of this -- that's all absolutely true.

And I don't -- I don't blame really any of these people for taking the money and going. At the same time, you also have to understand that you are a useful idiot who is being used by a regime. That's -- but understand that!

It's fine.

I don't think it's the same -- here's why I don't think it's the same as doing business.

Because businesspeople are smart enough to be behind closed doors. And do all of this stuff.

In Park City. And secretive events. Where they all fly in on their private jets.

GLENN: Right. Right.

BRIDGET: And entertainers. Their face is their brand.

Their jokes are their brand. Same with the golfers. Ultimately, you're an athlete. But you're also an entertainer. And I think that's why they get held to this unfair double standard.

Because they're actually quite poor, compared to everyone else around them.

These are court jesters for the king.

Literally. Literally.

GLENN: Well, I will tell you, I will tell you, that the Jewish state, could have put on a comedy festival. And paid them the same amount of money. I'll bet you, almost all of those comedians would have turned it down.

Because it's Israel.

They would never -- they would never do it for -- for Donald Trump.

The government said, we will put on a comedy festival for the 250th anniversary. But you can't make fun of religion or the founding or the Donald Trump family.

They would never, ever. They would cry bloody murder on that. And the last thing is.

BRIDGET: I know.

GLENN: I'm really sick of everybody else taking our culture and then giving us theirs.

We seem to be taking all of the Saudi culture.

You know, we're -- go ahead.

Go to little Somalia.

I don't want that culture.

I don't want it.

You can keep that culture.

You want to borrow some of ours. That's great. That's it difference between Billy Joel.

He went over.

Because they were starving for our culture. They wanted to be more like this. They keep sending us all their crap. Saying, you take it. No. You keep your stuff.

I would like to keep ours. All right. More with Bridget in just a second.

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Ten seconds. Back to Bridget.
(music)
Bridget Phetasy, she is a Spectator contributing editor and columnist. Host of Walk-ins Welcome and The Dumpster Fire.

And just a dear, dear friend that I just absolutely love.

Bridget, what's happening in your life?

What is the thing that is -- that's grabbing your attention or, you know, you feel compelled to share?

VOICE: Man, the -- the rise -- there's so much.

I'm really concerned about this kind of rise of anti-Semitism, that's kind of what I'm -- I think most obsessed with these days, and it seems to be getting worse.

And I find it to be so crazy, that it's like, a supernatural force.

So that's grabbed my attention. The charlie Kirk thing was another -- I was laughing before I came on. Because I was thinking -- every time -- every time I talked to Glenn. I'm like a little bit more red pill.

And so I'm a little bit more to the right.

GLENN: I know.

BRIDGET: And I'm not sure the center is hold. This is another thing that I've been thinking a lot about. And want to write about.

GLENN: What does that mean?

BRIDGET: I just don't -- I haven't been able to articulate it, which is why I think I want to write about it.

But I don't get this -- relationships that I've had even in my family, that have managed to be okay through Trump, not Trump. Trump. You know, the past decade, really.

Are starting to fray. And people that I love, because I'm either pretty openly pro-Israel. Or because I'm also now more openly pro-Republican.

At least, yeah.

I think the center. I think the center right is the new right.

It's the new -- I think the center right is the new center.

I think it used to be the center left.

And I feel like it's shifted right.

But it does feel like two Americas -- the Charlie thing made that pretty evident to me.

That there seemed to be kind of the two Americas are really moving apart from one another. More and more.

And I'm seeing, kind of the way centrists are trying to frame these things. And they're just -- they're having a hard time, because it's not -- there's two versions of America, that people seem to be trying to grapple with.

And I find that building something with family, there's one that's more patriotic.

More family-oriented. More -- more religious-oriented.

And the left, I'm not exactly sure what they stand for, at the moment.

Ask it does seem like it's more destructive.

And I think more and more people are seeing that. And feeling that.

GLENN: Bridget, always good to talk to you. God bless you. Have a great weekend. Stay safe. Bridget Phetasy,

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

If Americans Seem Crazy, Here’s Why | Jonathan Haidt | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 268

"If current trends continue, we’re going to hell,” says Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and best-selling author of "The Anxious Generation." In a candid talk, Glenn and Jonathan discuss preventing another Patriot Act, free speech threats from the activist Left, and whether Trump has crossed a “red line.” Glenn asks Jonathan how to navigate America’s divisions, leading to a discussion on social media’s harm to kids, with Haidt noting platforms like TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat are damaging children “on an industrial scale” and may hinder Gen Z’s ability to “get married and stay married.” They agree that it’s time to regulate social media and advise against AI Christmas toys or falling in love with your AI companion. In the final moments of the podcast, Glenn floats the idea of a constitutional amendment that reminds us of what it really means to be human. Note: We apologize for the technical difficulties, but we hope you'll bear with us as the conversation was too important to leave on the editing floor.

Has the Vatican fallen? Pope Leo’s climate justice stunt exposed

Pope Leo recently blessed a block of ice at a "climate justice" event. Has he embraced the globalist communist mob? Catholic BlazeTV host ‪@lizwheeler‬ joins Glenn Beck to explain why she's both "disappointed" and hopeful about the future of the Catholic Church.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I wanted to bring Liz Wheeler on. Because I think she is the best Catholic I know, next to my mother-in-law. And, Liz, I don't want to criticize the Pope, because at least he's not Francis, who I didn't have a problem criticizing because I didn't think he was actually Catholic.

Is this -- where do you stand with this Pope?

Is he -- is there hope here?

Is this just a blip?

What are you thinking?

LIZ: Good question. I think a lot of -- I think Catholics all over the world are asking themselves that same question.

So I would say, let's start with the good news first. The good news is the Catholic -- (breaking up)

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Oh, jeez. Wait.

STU: Good things about Catholics.

GLENN: She's trapped in some sort of digital hell.

STU: Yeah, you're cutting out, Liz, quite badly.

LIZ: Oh, it's cutting out for me? Let me see if I can walk to a different --

GLENN: There you are. Stay where you are. That's good. Yep. That's good. Good.

LIZ: Okay. The second thing is --
GLENN: We missed the first thing. Oh, my gosh, did it --

VOICE: Oh, the first thing was the Catholic Church is the Davidic Kingdom, and it will endure regardless of infiltrators.

GLENN: Okay.

LIZ: So there's not -- it's not a political organization. It's a spiritual one.

The second piece of hope is that young men entering the priesthood today are incredibly based. So the next generation will not be dealing with the Boomer liberal priests that we're dealing with right now. That's kind of the good news.

It is demoralizing I think as a Catholic to see the pope encourage engaging in this climate. I mean, public climate justice. What does that mean?

And I'm not saying that rhetorically. Climate justice is a very thin mask over Communist political aspirations.

So it feels scandalous for a Pope to be cavorting with these people. I mean, he left that water. Throw that holy water on these Communists.

See how many demons jump out of theme. This is the Communist ideology that Christians are playing around with. And I agree with Matt Walsh. I don't like criticizing the Pope as a Catholic, because -- and I'll be perfectly blunt with you, Glenn, because whenever I, as a Catholic, criticize the Pope, my evangelical friends and Protestant brethren conflate my criticism of the Pope with criticism of the Catholic doctrine.

And that's one of the things that sets Catholicism apart. Is the pope is the leader of the church. And as such, we, of course, hope he accurately represents the doctrine.

But he does not write or dictate the doctrine.

He can say things as the pope they can't be contradict Catholic doctrine.

Because what he says, is not infallible.

We as Catholics are not required to take everything he says, as no pun intendeds. Gospel.

And it's confusing sometimes.

Because that's not how a lot of Protestant he was not evangelical churches are.

But it's worth noting.

Because in this case. I

To me, and I'm not trying to stand here, and define what sins have been committed or anything like that.

Far be it from me.

But it seems to me, when you stand quite literally next to communists. And take part in their rituals. But it's going to be very confusing. It is an indication of sin, at best. Because people who are not as informed about what, quote, unquote, climate justice actually is. Might conflate is for our true calling as Christians. Which is to be good standards of the creation that God gave us.

That's true. We are called to do that as Christians.

But when you conflate that with climate justice, which is anti-humanity, anti-God, that can be very confusing for people who aren't as politically entrenched in reading these documents at the UN climate conference.

Like you and I. And a lot of people listening today, do.

So I find it to be disappointing.

Like that, I actually think, I texted this to a friend earlier: I think he should -- he's good on many theological things.

He has some liturgical tendencies that are refreshing after Francis. He seems to be extending the olive branch to a lot of traditional Catholics.

The Latin mass and that kind of thing. And that's good.

But I texted a friend this morning, I said, he should look into his brother more on politics.

His brother, I think has a very bombastic account, posting some -- what I consider to be funny.

Some bombastic things about Hillary Clinton.

GLENN: Wow.

LIZ: And, I mean, I don't love his politics. I think there's hope. But there's also a little disappointment too.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. I think we all go through this with all of our churches. Because I think all of our churches have let us down. I really do. My church, I don't happen to agree with the stance on illegal aliens. I don't understand that stance.

You know, I understand compassion and everything else.

But follow the law. Is also part of it, I thought.

And we all have -- we all have things that make us uncomfortable in all of our churches.

And we just -- I -- hope and pray, that we'll start to see our churches find the leaderships that the -- the leadership that will stand up and be very, very clear on universal principles.

You know, and what -- here 25, 30 years ago, my faith came out with the proclamation with the family. And 30 years ago, it seemed insane.

And it was like gender is specific and ordained by God.

Man, woman, children, that's the family proclamation.

And it went deep into it. And that seemed nuts at the time.

But that's the kind of stuff that we need from all of our stuff right now.

What are the eternal truths that we all need to stand for?

LIZ: Yeah. And that's exactly right. And that's actually one of the reasons why -- not just why I'm Catholic, but why I'm excited to be Catholic.

Because, yes, while it can be demoralizing when a leader who is a de facto representative of your faith speaks politics either wrongly in an ill-informed way, or even what I consider to be immorally. At the same time, because he doesn't change the doctrine -- I mean, look at Theology of the Body.

You know, Pope John Paul II. Look at the cataclysm of the Catholic Church, defining communism as coming from Satan.

I mean, these are truths that aren't changed, and that the Catholic Church is unwavering in not her belief, but her teaching.

And if you put aside really the sin and the brokenness of the people, who leave the church. Because we're all sinful and we're all broken, and you look at just the truth of the gospel. You know, whether this is -- you know, we in the Catholic Church call this the word.

It is both the Bible. And tradition. And the living word.

Jesus Christ himself. If you look at this deposit of faith, it is eternal. It is unchanging.

And that brings hope beyond just politics, and beyond just the leadership of a specific organization that brings eternal hope.

And that's why, no matter who is currently at the helm of the administration of the church, I will always be Catholic.

GLENN: How -- how are you feeling about the way Christians are dealing with each other right now? I think we're in a new place, and at a really good place. Do you feel that?

BRIDGET: Yeah, there's a spiritual revival that's happening. I mean, it accelerated after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Because you and I talked about this often, Glenn.

When someone -- when someone is confronted with evil, as we all have been, because of the politics of the recent decades, it brings to the forefront of your mind in a very new and very -- sometimes jarring way, that while if there's evil, then there must also be good.

And when you search for that good, it leads you toward God, and this has been a slow roll that's been happening over the course of the past decade.

And there's been some accelerating events. There were the Black Lives Matter riots. There was the COVID vaccine mandates. There was of course, the very recent murder of our friend Charlie. There have been these events where people are like, wow. That -- you know, when you're told that your white child is a racist, just because they have white skin. And that your black child is oppressed just because they have black skin, that's not just stupid policy.

That's not just ill-informed leaders. That's evil.

And so people have been searching. And they are rightfully. And, I mean, it brings me great joy, finding God in the midst of this political evil. Because we would like I think to believe that politics and religion are separate, that -- that they're two entirely different entities. But truth of the matter, is they're not. Our society is intended to help human flourishing. But human flourishing is not just the liberty to do whatever you want.

It's not just license. It's the opportunity. The liberties to pursue virtue.

Which is your opportunity to choose Christ. So you can't really separate the two. And it's become very clear that the other side doesn't separate their religion from their politics.

We are, of course, engaged in spiritual warfare. Not just left versus right. Political bickering here.

And it has been in the midst of the suffering that we have all endured in our country over the past decade.

It is also a good and humbling reminder that God brings so much good out of evil.

Because you see this incredible awakening that's happening in people's hearts, as they face what could turn them to the bad side. But, instead, it's causing them to turn towards God.

GLENN: Liz, thank you for stopping by the show today.

I appreciate it. Just love you. Stay safe.

BRIDGET: Thanks, Glenn. Appreciate it.

GLENN: You bet. Buh-bye.

South Korea’s Dystopian Shift and Its Shocking Global Implications

Glenn Beck speaks with Pastor Rob McCoy about the rapid collapse of South Korea into authoritarianism and what it means for the entire Western World. McCoy shares his firsthand experiences from the trip, detailing how the government is packing the Supreme Court, arresting opposition, and opening borders to foreign influence. With parallels being drawn to what could happen in America and Europe, this is a stark warning about the dangers of complacency and the erosion of freedom.

Watch Glenn Beck's recent episode of 'Glenn TV' which dives deeper into the current situation in South Korea HERE

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Rob McCoy, Turning Point's faith cochair. Good friend of Charlie Kirk, and Charlie Kirk's pastor. He just got back from South Korea. Pastor, welcome back. How are you?

ROB: I'm good, Glenn, and I think you're a likable character.

GLENN: Spend some time. Get to know me. Come on. Come on.

So let's talk about what you experienced in South Korea.

We talked, I think a week ago, or maybe a little longer. Where they're starting to -- I mean, it's bad. I talked to Pastor Son last night from Korea on the TV show, and it is really becoming dystopian and authoritarian over in -- in South Korea.

ROB: Yeah, it reminds me of the Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises, where he said, it happens gradually and then suddenly.

And that's what's happening in South Korea.

They've packed the Supreme Court from 14 justices. Now they're going to 30.

It's no longer rule of law. It's rule by law.

GLENN: Yes.

ROB: And they just arrested the communications commissioner. It's awful. I mean, I met with Assemblywoman Na, who was a previous judge. And she's the longest serving assemblywoman in the conservative party. And she's fearful. I mean, they're making a hit list to get all these people arrested, and we're losing an ally rapidly.

GLENN: Yeah. And if we lose that ally, we don't really have a way to protect Australia, New Zealand, Japan. I mean, that is a massive strategic area for us.

And that's not my first concern. But it is a -- it is a very large concern. My first concern is: Is what's happening over there, is happening to all of the western world.

They just are a little further ahead, than seemingly everybody else.

ROB: Exactly. The Chinese. So we took a flight after I had spoken in Pastor Son's Church in Busan. And then we flew into Seoul to meet with some folks and also do a protest in front of the courthouse for Pastor Son. But on the plane, it's interesting, they had listed all visa requirements for the Chinese.

And the Koreans are the most polite people on the planet. We get on this plane, and it's packed. And as we're getting off, they're bum-rushing to get off the plane. And they said, these are all Chinese people.

And they -- they -- if they're there, I think it's four months, they have the ability to vote.

China is invading without any shots being fired, all of South Korea.

GLENN: Yeah.

ROB: And Pastor Son is a rarity in that country in that he's standing in opposition to that.

Most of the pastors are silent. They're starting to get encouragements. They're starting to stand. We did have a good attendance in the protest in front of the courthouse. But we have a lot of work to do, to get these people away.

Like I said, we will lose an ally. More importantly, this country will fall to Communism.

GLENN: That is so crazy to think.

I mean, when we think of North Korea and what they've gone through, and how close of an ally, and how they're for freedom. And they understand North Korea. They have just -- this new regime has come in and done everything that has been tried to be done in Europe by just opening up the borders. Except, they're opening it to Communist Chinese. And it's just slipping away, so fast.

How -- how long do you think before it's done!

ROB: Well, you know. I met with some business leaders. I met with politicians.

And the greatest stopgap we have. And I don't know if the administration knows this.

I'm -- you know, Glenn, you're in the book of whose who. I'm in the book of who's he?

I'm not a political operative. I don't know a lot of political names.

I don't even think we have a South Korean ambassador, appointed right now.

GLENN: We don't.

ROB: And the greatest stopgap we have is tariffs. If the president can establish two-tiered tariffs by simply saying, "Look, religious freedom and no arresting of the opposition party, this will be your tariff. If you don't, this is what you're going to get." And just smoke them.

Because these -- these business owners want their country back.

They're willing to take a hit. Because they're watching the country evaporate before their very eyes.

And the president can do that with these tariffs. He did it for two reasons. One is to bring manufacturing back and, two, is to have political leverage. And this country needs help! They've been our greatest ally.

Real quick, I spoke to Pastor Son's church on that Sunday. And it was to the day, the 75th anniversary of the UN forces liberating soul from the grasp of the communist Chinese.

And here we are. We are giving it right back to them. Because we are sound asleep at the wheel.

GLENN: You saw the pastor for, what? Ten minutes with his son. For the first time since he's been arrested.

What was that like?

ROB: You know, the man is amazing. I go in there. I sit down. His wife is there. And she's as strong as could be. She reminds me of the Korean equivalent of Erika Kirk. You know, she has this husband. But here he is in prison. And he just said, I'm standing strong.

And I told him, Pastor Son, you're the freest man in Korea. And you're here to God.

Defiance to tyrants is obedience to God.

And he is doing that. And then I told him, I said, you know, I came here because you're my friend. More importantly, to fulfill a promise for Charlie.

And I've never seen this man cry, ever.

And you don't cry in Korea. And he broke down crying. And his son even commented to me, I've never seen my dad cry like this. This is unbelievable.

GLENN: Yeah, he told me that last night.

He said, my father broke down in tears. He said, I didn't know what to think. I've never seen him cry.

ROB: Yeah. But he even said, I'm on a mission trip. And I said, you're probably going to have to stay here until the church wakes up.

He said, as long as it takes.

He's committed to getting his country back.

And, you know, most of the folks I talked to, I said, look, you guys are going to be political dissidents if this doesn't hold out.

And they said, we're not going to leave this one. We're going to fight for it.

You know, God gave us this country, it's important to us. It's important to America. And I wish our government would wake up to this, which I hope they will.

And, you know, churches because of your help, Glenn, are waking up. A lot of pastors want to go over there, but the current president has now outlawed foreign protesting.

He's doing everything he can to just stop any opposition voice.

And I'm surprised, they got out of the country. Because I turned to the police and I said, look, Romans 13 says your minister of justice to execute wrath on those who do evil.

You don't point your gun at those who are doing good. You're here to protect the people.

You know, not enslave them.

And then I walked right through with my friend Steven Martin. Pastor Steven from Texas, and we walked through those police officers, looked them right in the eye after I said that.

Five of us were looking at us like, thank you. And the others were bowing their head in shame. They're in a lot of trouble, and we have to pray for them. But we also have to activate as a government.

GLENN: I'm going to call the President either today or tomorrow, Rob. Would you just write a note to me. And tell me exactly what you need me to hear, and I will pass that on to him.

ROB: Yes, sir. I will do exactly that, Glenn.

GLENN: Yeah. How can we help?

ROB: Well, first of all, Glenn. I just want to commend you and your entire audience. You have been the pebble in the pond, and the ripples are going out. And, you know, the definition of friend is when the whole world goes out, they come in. You're that friend. And you've created this stir.

So I would say to all your radio audience. Any connection you have in your circle of influence.
Get this out. Most of the pastors I'm talking to, they're saying, we didn't do. We just didn't know.

Well, it's catching up. And it's like wildfire. And we know those are out here in California. And you're starting a fire. And I'm grateful for it.

GLENN: It's happening so -- it's happening so fast!

I mean, when you think of South Korea, you don't think of it being a country that is about be taken by the Chinese.

You know, that's about to go communist. And it's already gone authoritarian.

I mean, the things that they have done now, they are just arresting anyone who is a conservative, they're just arresting them. And throwing them in Yale. They're dismantling everything.

As you said, I talked to Alan Dershowitz about the rise and fall of democracies. And he said, the last thing, and is this the knockout punch is they change the Supreme Court.

And they usually end up, you know, doubling the size of it, or whatever. He said, when they do that, you no longer have the rule of law.

And as you started with, they've just done that.

I mean, and it's -- it's so bad, for the west!

It's so bad.

ROB: Yeah, just to give Americans an idea, especially conservative Americans, we went through the Biden administration. Imagine Kamala winning and getting the -- the House and the Senate, by filibuster. Proof majority.

Packing the Supreme Court.

That's where we are today.

They would be suppressing religious freedom. They're silencing opposition voice. They would have put President Trump in jail for 700 years. They would have imprisoned his family. Anyone who stood with him, they would be imprisoned. Just what we went through. Just imagine it exponential, and that's where Korea is right now.

GLENN: Your sign of hope from over there?

Let me ask you this: The people who did the -- and I don't even want to mention names. But I had one of the young ladies in my office. And she said, you know, we were part of this, Charlie. We brought Charlie over yada, yada, yada.

And I -- you know, I -- I said to her, you're going home, and you might be arrested. And she said, oh, yeah.

I know, but I have to go home. How are they feeling?

How is that movement?

ROB: Because of that young lady's work and these young people. There were certain times where I would be in a large mall in Seoul or I would be in Busan. People would come up with autographs because they have seen either the church service or they had seen YouTube videos produced by a number of, you know, outlying non-traditional media that we had done there.

And they were coming up for autographs. They wanted a picture. And it's young people. They want their country back. And they're looking. They started a movement there. And pastors are waking up as well.

So my -- my hope is that there is -- there is 20 percent of that nation that is committed to doing anything necessary to stand in opposition to this, even be put in jail. And we've got to come and help them.

And I told them. I said, look, you know, Churchill was completely surrounded.

All of Europe had fallen. And he held on in Great Britain until America had interpreted war. Hang on. Hang on. I'm going to go back and do my best.