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Glenn Beck: Arguing with Idiots - The Nanny State

October 13, 2009
 Radio Clips

The Glenn Beck Program


Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government


by Glenn Beck

GLENN: Well, Arguing with Idiots, it is the way to win every argument on everything that is out there. I mean, Healthcare? Look up the chapter. Gun control? Look up the chapter on gun control. We give you their stupid argument and then we give you the way to beat it. For instance, when your friend says...

PAT: Yeah, you are always whining about the nanny state. You know what? People need guidance. If they don't get it, they will start eating like you; they'll weigh more than the entire State of Nebraska.

GLENN: First of all let's say that's true.

PAT: It is true.

GLENN: So what?

PAT: So go ahead and say it.

GLENN: It's true.

PAT: It's true.

GLENN: It's true. So what?

PAT: What do you mean so what?

GLENN: If I want to make my arteries flow as well as trying to suck a Twinkie through a straw, that's my business, isn't it?

PAT: No.

GLENN: By the way, I've tried sucking a Twinkie through a straw and it's almost, I stress almost, impossible.

PAT: Yeah, it's your business until I wind up having to pay for your healthcare because 400,000 people die of obesity every year.

GLENN: Wow, what a great stat. I've heard that over and over and over again.

PAT: I know.

GLENN: But if you look on Page 165 of Arguing With Idiots, you'll see the footnote that shows that the actual number is ridiculously exaggerated. It's actually about 1/16th of that number. But beyond that, isn't the real problem that you'd have to pay for my bad choices? I mean, if we'd stop trying to pay for everybody's bad choices, we wouldn't have to worry so much. I could live my life completely with a, you know, portable jar of mayonnaise in my briefcase and you could live yours with green beans and watercress and we'll see who dies happier.

PAT: Oh, please, I'm just talking about some common sense solutions here. Like listing the amount of calories on the menu of fast food restaurants like they did in New York City.

GLENN: Yeah, you are right. That's a perfect example.

PAT: I know it is.

GLENN: Yeah. Even though most of the restaurants already had nutritional information posted or in pamphlets for anybody who wanted it.

PAT: Oh, yeah. But you had to walk four or five steps to the right of the counter to get that.

GLENN: Uh huh.

PAT: Putting it on the menu makes it so much easier for people to make the smart choices about what they eat, way easier.

GLENN: Smart choices. You'll see the problem with these laws is you can check on how well they work, you see, and that's what researchers did. They found that only about half of the people even noticed the calories.

PAT: But still, it's worth it. If you are helping just half the people.

GLENN: Really?

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: Well, it's not half.

PAT: What do you mean?

GLENN: Over 70% of the people who noticed the calories on the board completely ignored them. Overall according to your beloved New York Times, about 12 1/2% of the people said they made healthier decisions based opt menu.

PAT: Okay, but still. 12 1/2% of people are healthier.

GLENN: Oh, no, not so fast. Read the book, Arguing With Idiots. You see, people lie all the time about what they eat. So the same study went one step further. They waited outside of restaurants and paid the customers two bucks to get their receipts so they could actually see what they ate. The results? People actually increased the amount of calories they consumed after the law was in place.

PAT: Well, then how many laws are in effect every time you walk by the vending machine?

GLENN: See? See what happens?

PAT: You know what, Mr. Beck? Nacho cheese dust is not on the food pyramid, okay? Neither is Crisco oil.

VOICE: Arguing With Idiots available at bookstores everywhere, or order now at GlennBeck.com/bookczar.

Victor Davis Hanson: Woke America has forgotten this CRUCIAL lesson — but Trump never did

Do you know where your water comes from? Renowned historian and conservative commentator Victor Davis Hanson gets his water from a well on his family farm. He pumps it himself and he believes that's what more Americans need — to be grounded in physicality and stop taking so much for granted.

Hanson joined Glenn on the latest "Glenn Beck Podcast" to point out that this needs to happen soon because, as he describes in his new article, "The 10 Radical New Rules That Are Changing America," things are getting pretty bleak. The Left is subverting the Constitution more every day. The value of the dollar is dropping. The media has fused with the radical Left. Corporations, Hollywood, Silicon Valley are all working together to increase their power and their wokeness. And academia isn't any better — as a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Hanson has watched for himself the deterioration of constitutional rights on campus. And as a historian, he knows how all of this usually ends — and what we must do to prevent it.

In the clip below, Hanson shares a crucial lesson that woke America has forgotten — but surprisingly enough, President Donald Trump never did. Watch the video clip below or find the full podcast here or wherever you listen to podcasts:

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.

Columbus cop is a 'HERO': Why Glenn Beck STANDS with our police

Our police officers are called racists, killers, and murderers even if all the evidence suggests the opposite is true. With the bodycam footage and information we have so far, it looks like the Columbus, Ohio, police officer involved in the shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant "is a hero," Glenn Beck said.

On the radio program, Glenn, Stu Burguiere, and Pat Gray discussed the fatal shooting of the 16-year-old who appeared to be about to stab another girl when the officer shot her. They agreed that the officer arrived at an extremely chaotic scene, and within seconds was able to identify the threat and react. But that hasn't prevented the Left from demonizing him — like LeBron James tweeting the officer's photo and saying "you're next."

Glenn went on to say it's time for the Fraternal Order of Police to stand with its officers and for Columbus police temporarily to walk from the job to show the Left and the media unity for the officer currently under investigation.

"I want you to either call or maybe you tweet today, 'Police we support you. I stand with the police. #Istandwiththepolice.' Our police are under attack," Glenn stated.

"And let me tell you something, police officers, if you are a racist and you're out shooting people, I will be the first to come and say, 'put that guy in prison' ... but the vast majority of police officers are good and competent," he continued. "And they're doing their best. And they're risking their lives for us. I stand with the police!"

"Make sure you let your local police officers know that," Glenn added. "And FOP, I'm telling you, you have to do a strike in some of these cities, and Columbus would be a really good place to do it. ... You have got to send a message to the media and everyone else. One day without police in one of these cities and you see what happens. You don't want the police? You want to 'reimagine' the police? Go ahead! Until the White House stops this nonsense, walk."

Watch the video clip below to hear more from Glenn:

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.

Glenn Beck: Why is the US Postal Service SPYING on Americans — and who authorized this 'covert program'?

A shocking report from Yahoo News recently exposed a covert operation to track Americans' social media posts for "inflammatory" content — carried out by the U.S. Postal Service.

On the radio program Thursday, Glenn Beck and Stu Burguiere broke down what we know about the USPS' surveillance effort, known as the Internet Covert Operations Program (or iCOP), and the role it plays in providing other federal agencies with information on "right-wing leaning" accounts, among other data, and asked: Who exactly authorized the U.S. Postal Service to monitor the internet?

"It was found out yesterday and released in a story by Yahoo News, the United States Postal Service is apparently tracking social media posts as part of a clandestine program, searching for inflammatory messages," Glenn began. "Wait, the Postal Service has a clandestine operation going on?"

Glenn read highlights from the Yahoo report, noting that iCOP has quietly had analysts combing through various social media sites, particularly those considered "right-wing leaning," looking for "inflammatory" postings and then sharing information with other government agencies.

"The Postal Service is now spying on you. But no big deal, right?" Glenn added sarcastically.

Watch the video below to hear more details:


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.

Dollar Decimation: How Biden’s Spending Spree Will End Our Currency

If it feels like the U.S. government is spending money like it's going out of style, it's because it is.

On Glenn TV this week, Glenn Beck exposes the TRUE state of our economy that the Biden administration doesn't want you to see. Obama kicked off a spending spree that was continued under the Trump administration, and now President Joe Biden will finally push us over the ledge with the $2.3 TRILLION "infrastructure" deal.

All signs point to a major economic disaster. And the perfect storm is brewing to convert the greenback into a new digital currency. Think Bitcoin, but with CENTRAL bank control, where we could see the end of private savings and private spending and your finances are tracked. Every time our money gets converted, your wallet will take the losses.

Watch the full episode below:

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.