Glenn Beck: Survivors Club

February 20, 2009

The Glenn Beck Program

The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life

By Ben Sherwood

All right, let me go to Ben Sherwood. And Ben, I have to blame -- I got trashed by Geraldo Rivera this morning on television and it's because of you.

SHERWOOD: (Laughing). My apologies.

GLENN: I was doing the show. In fact, you're part of the show tonight. We're doing the TV show tonight on "Think the Unthinkable." What's the worst possible scenario. We're war gaming tonight on what America could go through in the next few years, and this idea really came from you. Geraldo Rivera said on television this morning, he said, "Oh, this is ridiculous. What good comes out of war gaming? What good comes out of looking at all of the different possibilities that could happen." You tell me, Ben. What good could come out of thinking of possibilities with some of the best and brightest minds and playing a war game?

SHERWOOD: Well, you just ask 150 people who were on an airplane that landed on the Hudson a few weeks ago. They never imagined that their plane would go down on the Hudson, and they somehow through all kinds of leadership of a few passengers, a pilot and a crew, they managed to get off that plane. That is not an easy thing because as we've discussed before, most people when they see a plane with a wing on fire, they have nothing in their memory bank. They have nothing to draw upon to know how to act in that situation, and the result is what scientists call behavioral inaction. That is, they do nothing. And so by sounding the alarms, by telling people about what could happen out there in this country, the economy, all sorts of challenges that we face and we know we face, by sounding the alarm, you are basically putting into people's minds the scenarios that when those scenarios arise, they have a fighting chance of dealing with them.

GLENN: You know, you sent me the quiz for your book. By the way, the name of the book is The Survivors Club. It's fantastic. You have to read it, especially in these times. It's just -- and by the way, congratulations on being New York Times best seller.

SHERWOOD: Well, thank you for that, Glenn.

GLENN: You sent me a poll to take. Can you tell me what it even means? I took this, I took this survey and then it tells you what kind of person you are. It said that I was a fighter. What does that mean?

SHERWOOD: So the typical person has what is called -- most people are not wired to deal with the low probability/high consequence events. That means that most of us are not wired to deal with the kinds of crises that pop up in life. And what I did when I went out and interviewed survivors around the world to try to figure out what the most effective survivors do whenever they're challenged, whether it's a medical crisis or an economic challenge, I found that they share certain common personality traits and they share an outlook and a lens, sort of a mentality for dealing with a challenge. And so what we did was we created the world's first profiler. It's a personality test that lives on the Internet and that's on your website. It takes a couple of minutes to take it and it's --

GLENN: It's on the website now? I didn't even know. It's on GlennBeck.com right now?

SHERWOOD: It's going to be on GlennBeck.com. Your producer told me as soon as we're done, he'll put it up. So you can take a quiz that will take them what their survivor type is. I'm not surprised at all, Glenn, to hear that you're a fighter. Fighters are people who, with a real sense of purpose -- and by the way, in the last segment you mentioned sort of the purpose of being here, a real sense of purpose, a real sense --

GLENN: Hang on. We're up against a break. Hang on. I want you to describe, finish the fighter thing but I want you to describe all the other levels of it as well. Hang on. Back with Ben Sherwood, author of Survivors Club. Unbelievable book. More in a second.

(OUT 11:42)

GLENN: 888-727-BECK. So Ben Sherwood is really the inspiration for this show tonight bus it's a war game show. What is the unthinkable, what does this look like if it goes really, really bad on us, the economy and everything else. And Ben told me on the air, the author of Survivors Club that the people who have thought things through or thought the unthinkable were really, that was one key component in surviving. Tell me about the different kinds of survivors. You have this survivor IQ test that's up at GlennBeck.com right now where you can take it, find out what category you're in. Explain the categories and then we'll -- explain what it means. Dan is a believer. Stu is a thinker, and I'm a fighter.

SHERWOOD: So what we found is that there are five basic survivor personalities and we all fall into one of these categories and so we created the survivor profiler which asks the short quick version which is on your website, produces a very quick glimpse of your survivor personality. Readers of the book get a code to take a deeper, longer test that produces around a 10-page customized report on your specific survivor strengths and your specific survivor talents. But the types, a fighter, Glenn. A fighter is a purpose-driven, mission-driven character like Lance Armstrong, somebody who guts it out, pushes and fights their way through a particular problem.

A thinker is a person who uses intelligence, common sense, street smarts, sort of their mind to think their way and analyze their way through a problem, not the same kind of mission-driven, fighter, resilient, tenacious personality. More of a cerebral person who works their way with thoughts through a problem. That's not --

GLENN: Wait, wait. Hang on. Wouldn't it be better to be a thinker than a fighter?

SHERWOOD: Fighters -- so here's the thing. These aren't mutually exclusive because I'm about to tell you, for instance, that there's a survivor type called a believer, and I know that you're a person of faith and a believer. What we measure for in this test is what is the dominant quality that is your leading quality. It doesn't mean that you aren't a thinker.

GLENN: There were several times that I went, well -- there was one question where I thought, well, no, I would step back -- first I would say, where are the exits. And then I would look at everything and I would evaluate and then I would also pray at the same time. So is that why I was -- I was torn on which one to do and I just went with what would be the first thing I would do.

SHERWOOD: That's exactly right. See, the test and the reason why it has a very high accuracy and the longer version that comes with the book is even more accurate is that we put these questions to you that are not -- it's not an either/or because we are all lots of these different qualities together. And what we're measuring for is what is your dominant trait in a situation. What is sort of the thing you would lead with. Again it doesn't mean that you don't also rely on prayer and brains. There's also a realist survivor type. That's a person who is incredibly pragmatic and practical. And there's also a connector personality type, and the connector is someone who relies on their social network and their bonds with others and their ability in social situations, they are a people person, to get through a problem. And this has -- we tested this on the real survivors in the book, we tested this on real people in the population. The accuracy level is very high. And Geraldo's point, Geraldo giving you grief this morning for raising these questions, everybody knows that we're going to get slammed by something in life, whether it's a medical diagnosis or a pink slip. We all know that crisis is inevitable and you are only putting your head in the sand if you don't want to think about those situations. The advantage that a person needs by knowing their survivor type, the advantage that they have in watching your show this afternoon and war gaming what could happen is that you have a plan and you have framed in your mind, you've started to rewire yourself to deal with the fact that bad things happen and. That's the person in the United States who studied the way people respond and the crisis. And the problem is that we just aren't wired to deal with these. I live in California. I live on one of the most active earthquake fault lines in the world and in California they have managed to. They have to pursue it at home in the event of an earthquake. And we have a pair of tennis shoes, in our ca rs in the event of an earthquake. They have begun to rewire to live with the reality that the big one could be coming and that's why it's important to have a program like this afternoon, this evening on your show to talk about what are people going to do when these low probability, high consequence events come and it seems that these events are becoming more and more probable. They are not so low probability anymore.

GLENN: Ben, is there a better, is there one that we -- a survivor type that we should be striving for? Is there one that has a better potential of surviving? Is there --

SHERWOOD: No. No, Glenn. What I found in looking at a lot of these different crises and situations --

GLENN: Explain for people who don't know what The Survivors Club is, the book that you did, explain real quick what you did.

SHERWOOD: The Survivors Club is a book. The thesis is that we're all members of this invisible fellowship and that we're all dealing with problems in our families and problems in our cities and we're all suffering from cancer or from illness or from economic distress or we're all car crashes, and I went out and interviewed survivors and experts to analyze what are the things that the most effective survivors know and how can we, the rest of us, get some of those things in advance of whatever we're going to face. And that's what I went out to do with The Survivors Club. And what I think we found out is that there's this mentality, there's this outlook, and all of us can prepare ourselves. I'm not advocating stockpiling canned goods.

GLENN: Sure, not living in, you know, digging a hole in the backyard and burying yourself.

SHERWOOD: No, not at all. That's not at all what this is about. This is just about some basic knowledge and sort of a basic orientation which is -- and you've talked about this. There are things that are happening all around us that if you ignore them, you are putting yourself and your family and the people you love in greater jeopardy because unless you have a plan and a Plan B, unless you're facing reality -- it's called situational awareness in the military -- unless you are aware of the threats in daily life and unless you prepare for them and have a plan of action, you are basically, when that stuff happens, if the last few months the unthinkable has happened. Banks have collapsed, some of the pillars of the American economy have melted down. The unthinkable has happened, but there are still people out there who aren't facing those facts.

GLENN: That's amazing to me. It's amazing to me.

Stu said to me this morning, we were talking about it and I said, what, almost two years ago -- was it a year ago or two years ago? When we were at 14,000 in the Dow I said on the day we hit 14,000, I said, do not buy. Get out. Because the Dow will hit 7500. It is going to 7500. And everybody laughed and, you know, I was way out on a limb. And Stu said to me today when I pointed out, I said, "It's at 7300 today. I can't believe that." He said, you know, part of it with me is I'm not as freaked out I think as I would have been. Even though I made fun of it at the time, it was in my head and I had at least, you know, thought about it, dismissed it but thought about it. And so now that it's here, it's not as freaky as it may be for other people.

SHERWOOD: So when I went to the Air Force survival school in Spokane, Washington to learn the secrets that the military teaches its men and women on how to survive in hostile environments, I went up there to run around in the forests and find out what some of their special sauce is that I could put in the book so that regular people could use some of those secrets in daily life.

GLENN: 20 seconds.

SHERWOOD: They teach you to hug the monster, that is embrace your fears. Grab a hold of them. Wrestle. And as Stu says, if you imagine the Dow down at 7300, when it happens, it's not so terrifying.

GLENN: Good. Now imagine it at 3,000. Okay, we'll see you tonight, Ben. Special tonight, 5:00, Fox News Channel. Think the unthinkable.

Trump is INDICTED: Here are the TOP 5 questions about Trump's indictment ANSWERED

Brandon Bell / Staff, J2R | Getty Images

BREAKING NEWS: Trump has been INDICTED.

Today marks the first time in U.S. history that a President has been criminally indicted—but what does that actually mean? Unless you have a legal or political background, it is difficult to follow what will actually happen surrounding Trump's indictment.

Glenn will provide more clarity in coming days as this story continues to unfold. In the meantime, Americans are wondering what Trump's indictment means and what comes next.

Here are five things you NEED to know about Trump's indictment.

1. What does "indictment" actually mean?

To "indict" someone is the formal term used when a person is notified that they have been officially charged with a crime. In this case, the Manhattan grand jury found that the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, brought forward enough evidence to criminally charge Trump with a crime.

2. What crime is Trump being charged with?

Though the story is still developing, at the time of this article's publication, Trump was apparently being charged with mislabeling campaign finance funds. A week before the 2016 Presidential election, adult film star Stormy Daniels claimed she allegedly slept with Trump years prior and threatened to go public with the story. Trump's then-advisor Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 and labeled the fee as "legal fees" in their campaign finances. Trump repaid Cohen once he was elected to office.

Mislabeling legal fees is a misdemeanor—not a felony—yet Trump is being federally charged. Hillary Clinton was guilty of the same misdemeanor, mislabeling funding for the Steele Dossier as "legal fees" in her campaign finances. Why did she get away with paying $130,000 to the Federal Election Commission, while Trump is facing federal criminal charges?

Mislabeling campaign finances can't be considered a felony unless there is evidence it was used to shield a federal crime. So what was Trump covering up? Even NBC admitted that Bragg's case to prove this point was flimsy to begin with. It has not been revealed what evidence was presented to the grand jury to determine that Trump is guilty of a federal crime.

3. What is a "grand jury" and how are they able to indict Trump?

A "grand jury" is a type of federal jury that evaluates criminal cases. A U.S. prosecutor has to submit evidence before a grand jury, who will determine whether there is “probable cause” to believe an individual has committed a crime and should be put on trial. In this case, the Manhattan grand jury ruled that the evidence submitted by Manhattan DA Bragg was sufficient enough to believe that Trump had committed a federal crime.

Grand jury proceedings are closed to the public, thus, we don't have access to the evidence Bragg submitted before the jury.

4. Will Trump be arrested?

The simple answer is: yes.

Trump's arrest won't look like your typical crime shows with police officers busting through Trump's door and handcuffing him. The district attorney’s office will ask Trump’s attorney when he plans to come to New York to be arraigned, which means to appear before a court to face criminal charges. Once Trump arrives in Manhattan, he will likely surrender himself at the courthouse where he will be formally "arrested," taken to get fingerprinted, get a mugshot taken, and even a DNA test. He will then await his trial to defend himself against the charges.

5. Will Trump appear in court?

Yes. Once Trump is arraigned, he will await his court date to defend himself against his charges. Trump will likely pay bail to avoid being confined to the courthouse or a jail cell.

Buckle up, America! Be sure to tune into the Glenn Beck Program to stay up-to-date on all the developments surrounding Trump's indictment. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out last week's episode of Glenn TV where Glenn dove deep into the "big distraction"—the REAL reason they're going after Trump.

Message to America after the Nashville massacre: We are worshiping a FALSE GOD

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor , DEA / A. VERGANI / Contributor , Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images.

We had yet another tragic school shooting. There is only one way to begin to address this tragedy, a tragedy that has repeated itself all too often. We must begin by mourning with the families of the victims. Our hearts break for the victims, their families, and the entire community affected by this senseless act of violence.

I'm a parent, and I mourn with you as one.

I'm also a concerned citizen deeply concerned with the profound brokenness that pervades our current culture. All of us fear for the safety of our children and our loved ones. We share the same goal of creating a safe and secure environment for everyone, especially for our children, in our schools, in places of learning and growth.

It is natural for all of us to feel anger and fear during these times, and it may seem unnatural to rise above it. But we must. It's essential to remember that we have to come together as a society, together, and address the root causes of violence. Let me state it plainly: the root cause is not the gun, but rather, the misuse of them by individuals who are mentally ill or have criminal intent. I, for one, want to address the problem of gun violence. I am worried about this with my own children. Every American, regardless of who you voted for, feels the same.

But enough is enough.

When will we address mental health? Do you know the damage we have done to our children, just because of COVID? We have destroyed the mental health of our children. Our country's suicide rate is proof enough that something has gone deeply awry within the soul of our nation—the souls of our children. What is causing all of this? It is the loss of the old guards of our civilization.

Something has gone deeply awry within the soul of our nation.

There are several groups that we need to address. First, to the parents and families of the Nashville victims, I'm sorry. We love you. Our society is sick—it is sick and unrecognizable to most of us. Your loved ones have paid the ultimate price for that illness. I'm sorry because I'm part of the society that has an unwillingness to see the truth, apparently.

Second, to the mother of the 27-year-old shooter, we mourn with you as well. I've read your old posts. You've been fighting against guns in school. While we disagree, we both want this violence to end. I've also read your posts about your children, and how proud you are. There were so many moments of beauty. You feel the same way every mom and dad feels about their child, and you were right to feel that way.

Today, I can only imagine how confused you must be. You should know, we love you too. You lost a child as well. You lost a child to the same society that has an unwillingness to see the truth. You should also know, you are part of our community, and we mourn with you as well.

You lost a child to the same society that has an unwillingness to see the truth.

Now, lastly, to the political class and the media elites. You have been dividing us for years. At first, I think I was a part of that. I've tried really hard not to be. However, you're not sincere in anything you do. At first, maybe you thought you were right in your motivations, but then every time society proved you wrong and you just dug your heels in.

Why do you continue to divide us? Is it just to win over your opponent? Is it just to crush the other side? Is it because you believe that everyone who doesn't vote your way is evil? Or is it that you just no longer care? I'm one American among many who no longer believe in you.

I can understand how easy it is to think people who vote differently than me are the problem. I really can, and those people aren't the problem. The problem begins with people, like you, who only care about money or power, or are so arrogant that they think they know better than the rest of us. You make yourselves and your system into a false god. The arrogance.

You make yourselves and your system into a false god.

You go after the disaffected, the weak, and the hopeless, and you prey on these people, promising to be their savior, hoping they will help you gain power over those who you call your enemies. You have lied. You have lied through half-truths. You have lied through omission. You have lied through fabrications. You have distorted the truth to the degree that it's no longer recognizable.

You call men women, and women men. In your world, our children are legally children until 25 for insurance purposes. Yet you also consider our children "adult" enough to alter their own bodies at eight years old. You have called evil good, and good evil. We do not have a gun problem in America. Per capita, there were more gun owners 50 years ago than there are right now, yet they didn't have these problems. Is it the gun, or is it the people?

What we have in America is a TRUTH problem. We have turned ourselves inside out. We have turned ourselves against the basic principles that gave us life and freedom, and the promise of a fuller life. Our women have no more children, and our men have lost all meaning, reason, and faith.

What we have in America is a TRUTH problem.

Just yesterday, the Wall Street Journal released a poll that showed what principles the American people value most. Children, God, family—the values that used to define us as Americans—were LAST on the list. What was on the top? Money was in the top three. Money? Since when has money become a principle?

Perhaps it is because money is the god that so many worship—money over principles every time a corrupt bank is bailed out, money over principles for those who never want to pay their school tuition, every time we make someone who didn't go to school pay for someone else's tuition.

What kind of god do we worship, that makes children so allegedly flawed that we lay them on our metal alters to the gods in the surgical gowns, who can mutilate and sterilize them to make them "just the way they were intended?" That's an ancient god I don't recognize.

We all know the words that were written in the summer of 1776: "We hold these truths." But other words were written later that year when things weren't so sunny. It was December 21st: "These are the times that try men's souls." These words turned our nation around. These truly are the times that try men's souls, and the modern-day patriots—the lovers of truth and justice—must stand firm in the face of an ever-growing storm of disinformation and division. The weak-hearted are not going to be able to weather the storm, but those with the courage to fight for what is true will emerge victorious.

Lovers of truth and justice must stand firm in the face of an ever-growing storm of disinformation and division.

We live in a time when our faith in institutions, our faith in everything we know, is at an all-time low. Our republic is under siege, and the only way out is to remember our founding principles. We are drowning in a sea of lies. Cling to the life raft! Cling to the enduring belief in life and liberty, truth and justice. We'll only be able to find our way out if we can rekindle the flame of unity and embrace the American spirit that carried us through so many crises before. We have been here before.

But this time, in our current American crisis, we have to constantly remind ourselves that our fight isn't against an external enemy that we conquer. Our enemy is causing the internal divisions that are threatening to tear us apart, divisions that are created by monsters of men. These monsters are not just tearing us apart individual to individual, but tearing us and our children out from the inside out.

Cling to the enduring belief in life and liberty, truth and justice.

America, it is high time to reaffirm our commitment to the values that define us as a people. It is our collective responsibility, as free people, to stand up for those principles of truth. The seeds of division have been sewn by those who seek to manipulate and exploit us for their own gain. They shatter our trust in one another to instill fear and hatred where there should be understanding and compassion.

Truth is now clouded by conspiracy. The lines between fact and fiction have been blurred. Truth is a light. Everything we face is not insurmountable, but now is the time to return to truth and decency and justice for all.

Our kids are the ones who are going to pay the highest of prices for what we do now.

What's on Glenn's desk? THIS graphic novel's dystopia has TERRIFYING similarities to our world.

Matt Battaglia

Imagine a global health crisis. Everyone is ordered to "stay-at-home" and only to venture out for "essential" purposes. Travel is regulated by government surveillance, with only permitted workers allowed to go into the city. Inflation is at historic levels, and basic necessities, such as food and gasoline, become invaluable commodities.

Sound familiar?

As the COVID pandemic begins to recede into our cultural memory, it is harrowing to remember the sheer breadth of power we surrendered to our government in order to "keep us safe." We would be foolish to think that the pandemic wasn't a repetition of an age-old tale in the west, and we would be even more naive to believe that we aren't at risk of repeating it in the future: the government's manipulation of a crisis to secure its complete control over its people.

We would be foolish to think that the pandemic wasn't a repetition of an age-old tale

Filmmaker Matt Battaglia published a first in what is likely to become an emerging genre of post-pandemic apocalyptic literature, bringing to life the harrowing consequences of what could happen if we continue to surrender our liberty to the government for the sake of "safety and security."

Battaglia's graphic novel, House on Fire, brings this world to life in an even more vivid dimension through pictures, telling the story of a single day of a man living in this apocalyptic world that doesn't seem too distant from our own.

The setting

Imagine there is another global pandemic of a respiratory virus that is similar to COVID. The government implements COVID-like lockdowns and restrictions from their 2020 blueprint, but this time, the regulations are here to stay. After all, this pandemic isn't the only threat allegedly facing the American people. The future of our planet is at stake. On top of the pandemic regulations, our government restricts the types of food available for consumption, implements individual carbon quotas, mandates electric vehicles, eliminates gas-powered heating, cars, stoves, etc.

Of course, the pandemic and climate change policies require major government funding, so the President uses his emergency powers and executive orders to push through a multi-trillion-dollar proposal that secures the funding necessary to finance the "clean and safe transition." Yes, inflation will be an issue, but that is a small price to pay to secure our health and the future of our planet. Don't forget to include foreign aid for our warring allies in the multi-trillion-dollar packages as well.

Inflation is a small price to pay to secure the future of our planet.

Now fast forward 20 years of living under these all-too-familiar draconian policies. This is Battaglia's apocalyptic world where we meet our nameless main character, causing the reader to question whether our world could devolve into Battaglia's in such a short amount of time.

The plot

Battaglia's story begins with our character kissing his wife goodbye and leaving their country home on a one-day mission to the city in search of a cure for his wife's most recent bout of the illness that is, presumably, a result of the pandemic.

All of the themes that contribute to the apocalyptic nature of Battaglia's world are familiar to us, disturbingly so. Our character drives through country roads, passing by gas signs that list $20 per gallon prices. His radio reports on another invasion of Poland, while country fields transform into steeple-like towers of run-down factories, like old monuments to former industries of a time long past.

Our character reaches the city limit, a border-like security checkpoint where he is required to scan his identity card to enter the city, the likes of which we see in China today. Masks required. He then drives through empty streets of a once bustling city, save for several suspect people who seem to blend into the crevices of alleyways and corners, shrouded by their masks.

Finally, our character meets with his "contact," who gives him some type of canister, supposedly a remedy for his wife's ailment. He barters with several cuts of meat, a rarity more valuable than inflated cash in this "Green New World." From this point onward, things take a turn for our character—for the worst.

Glenn's warning

Many of these scenes bring to life themes that Glenn has been warning about for years, from the government's use of a pandemic to seize control over its people, the depleted dollar and record-high inflation resulting from government spending and foreign conflicts, the Great Reset's goals to eliminate meat, gas-powered products, and other "high emissions products." All of these will be done in the name of seemingly righteous goals: "health," "safety," "security," and the "future of our planet" come to mind. However, we won't realize our freedoms will be a faint memory of the past until it is too late.

All of these measures will be done in the name of seemingly "righteous" goals.

House on Fire's poignant ending leaves the reader with a terrifying yet vitally important question: are the issues plaguing our society latent within society itself, or do they stem from the troubles within our own souls? Does society mold the human soul, or is society, as Plato puts it, the human soul "writ large?"

Battaglia's short yet powerful graphic novel brings to life many of the themes that Glenn has been warning his listeners. It is sitting on his desk, and we hope it will sit on yours too. It gives the reader a glimpse into our society after years of decay and oppression, calling on the reader to halt its progression before it's too late.

Click HERE to get your own copy!

Elon Musk comments on Glenn's podcast with David Sacks, takes jab at U.S. foreign policy

Pool / Pool | Getty Images

Elon Musk chimed into Glenn's conversation about foreign policy with PayPal's founding COO David Sacks on the most recent installment of the Glenn Beck Podcast.

Musk tweeted, "US foreign policy is bronze tier on a good day!" He hit the nail on the head, as Glenn and Sacks discussed the deterioration of U.S. foreign policy and the rising probability of war with Russia and China.

None
— (@)

Glenn asked Sacks, "How likely do you think it is that we'd be headed towards war?" Sacks responded that he has been warning about the imminent threat of war since the Ukraine situation started and lamented that we have entered into a "proxy war of choice" with Russia.

"We engaged in a series of actions going back to 2008 that the Russians have viewed as highly provocative," Sacks said, decrying the continued expansion of NATO into Ukraine. Russia has continually warned the U.S. against expanding NATO into Ukraine, yet the State Department "crusaders" have persisted in their NATO-driven objective, which is "unacceptable to the Russians," Sacks said, "in the same way the Soviet Union trying to put nukes in Cuba was unacceptable to us in 1962."

If NATO expansion isn't enough to provoke a response from the Russian bear, our ongoing and escalating aid to Ukraine certainly is. As Sacks explained, "We're not just providing [Ukraine] with money and weapons. We are providing them with intelligence, we have commandos on the ground" and we are even directing Ukrainian soldiers on how to use our weapons on how to hit specific Russian targets. As Sacks said, "We are providing the kill chain" for Ukraine.

To put this in perspective, that would be equivalent to Russian soldiers instructing Taliban members on how to use Russian weapons to hit specific U.S. camps in Afghanistan. In that situation, wouldn't we accuse Russia of engaging in an act of war? The term "proxy" is increasingly diminishing in its relevance towards the U.S.'s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. We aren't engaging in a "proxy war" anymore. As Sacks said, "We are effectively a co-belligerent in this conflict."

It is no wonder that we are driving Russia into China's arms while both Putin and Xi continue to forge ties with sworn enemies of the U.S., including Iran and North Korea. If we continue to "poke the bear," it is only a matter of time before Russia finds its confidence with its newly-forged allies to retaliate against its aggressor.

Musk rightly said, "US foreign policy is bronze tier on a good day." But U.S. foreign policy has not even had a "good day" in some time. We are not only jeopardizing our own international reputation with ongoing aid to Ukraine; we are jeopardizing the whole world order by marching NATO increasingly toward war. Elites in the Biden administration and the military industrial complex may benefit from aggravating Russia towards war, but it certainly doesn't benefit anyone else, in the U.S. and abroad.

There are few tools in the conservative's kit to fight back against the elites' dangerous agenda. However, Musk mentioned one of these vital tools in a comment he tweeted on Glenn's interview with San Fransicko author and Twitter Files contributor Michael Schellenberger back in January: "Citizen journalism is vital to the future of civilization."