Get Broke and torture Stu



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PAT: Broke debuted yesterday, was released in stores everywhere. You can pick it up anywhere and everywhere books are sold, and if you do, there's a really good chance we could make something really cool happen. We have some goals and so if you go to the website it's GlennBeck.com, right, where you go?

STU: Actually the poll itself where you want to vote it is at Glenn's Facebook page.

PAT: You go to the Facebook page. So I don't know anything about that. That's Facebook.com?

STU: Yeah. If you search for Facebook Glenn Beck, or you can get to it through GlennBeck.com as well.

PAT: And there's a whole bunch of different choices there that if the book sells a certain amount of copies and it's a lot.

STU: Yeah.

PAT: It's a huge number. But if it sells a certain amount of copies, you can vote on what you would like to see happen.

STU: And, you know, I don't know that we actually agreed to do any of these things, but it seems like now that it's on the Internet, we're kind of locked into it.

PAT: Seems like it.

STU: And I don't like that pattern because my name is mentioned in many of them.

PAT: Many.

STU: I don't understand why. I didn't do anything to deserve that.

PAT: I don't know about that, but it is true your name is prominently displayed among the choices.

STU: It's not the support I was looking for actually.


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PAT: Stu, Stu must stand outside of the Today Show with a sign promoting Broke until it's been seen on TV. That could take a while because you know they're going to avoid you.

STU: Yes, they will. I must dress and act like Linda Douglass as I did on the Fox News Channel show.

PAT: I like that one a lot because you were very good at that.

STU: I was very good at it, and I had the she was the woman who was hired, she went from the shocking and incredible 180 from journalist to Obama administration spokesperson.

PAT: Yeah, wasn't that weird?

STU: Back to journalist.

PAT: Weird.

STU: How do you do it? I mean, you want to talk about someone who's versatile.

PAT: Yeah.

STU: That's really difficult. But yeah, she was the one pitching health care when that was coming out. And I did dress up as her on television and now they want me to do it for a radio show, which I don't understand exactly I mean, you don't even see me unless you're on Insider Extreme right now. So I don't know what the benefit of that would be.

PAT: Oh, subscriptions go through the roof.

STU: This is the thing.

PAT: Subscriptions go through the roof.

STU: See, this is the thing, Pat. We need to now that Glenn's not here, we have a one time opportunity to promote things that involve Glenn.

PAT: Yeah. This is my favorite, frankly the one that, Glenn must use five words chosen by fans in a radio or TV monologue. I would have to say both. You know, in a radio and a TV monologue.

STU: Okay, all right.

PAT: On a given day.

STU: You have to do at least TV.

PAT: So that would be really fun because then you see him work the words into, you know dumb words. I don't know, kumquat.

STU: Right.

PAT: And he's got to get that into a monologue during the TV show. It would be fantastic.

STU: And the best part of that is that I mean, because on radio he could throw Emmys, he's ridiculous all the time. But on television it's a little more serious, he's by himself.

PAT: Yeah.

STU: He's going to have to figure out a way to do it. And the five words are chosen by you, the fans. So if this one gets selected and this is the one I'm pushing for. I'm campaigning hard for this. We need to get out the vote to Glenn's Facebook page and vote for Glenn must use five words chosen by fans into a radio or TV monologue in a given day.

PAT: Like it.

STU: Because then Glenn we can choose the most awkward words. We can choose words that we Noel mispronounce.

STU: Antidisestablishmentarianism.

STU: We can choose that thing that you just said, we can say Managua, Nicaragua.

PAT: Managua, Nicaragua. We can say it five times, Managua, Nicaragua. And it can be a normal story. It could be yesterday four people were killed and three others injured in an explosion in Managua, Nicaragua.

STU: And then he has to use the word kumquat in the same sentence.

PAT: Or just have him say commerce sometime during the show.

STU: Commrece?

PAT: Commrece? Commrece? Commrece what?

STU: Intil?

PAT: Intil commrece stops in this country, or at least in Massachusetts.

STU: And Socia Security, Socia Security.

PAT: (Laughing).

STU: Social! Glenn, Social Security! Not Socia Security.

PAT: Socia Security was supposed to be solvent intil 2035 but now... because of bad commrece, it... it's not gonna be.

STU: Oh, there's so many.

PAT: Especially Massachusetts.

STU: Massachusetts. It's like he comes out and says mass... it's just Massachusetts...

PAT: We have to eat this up because we only have 21 more minutes. All right, 1 888 727 BECK.

STU: By the way, Pat, real quick.

PAT: Yeah.

STU: I did start reading Broke last night. I got it on my iPad because I refuse to carry around big books anymore. So now I have to wait and buy it even though I could get a copy from Glenn. But it's very interesting. I started reading actually part of, towards the end, the third section which is all about the solutions and things that we could do, dramatic things that we can do to move this, you know, this car that's in a ditch. I don't know if you understand this analogy, but there's a car in a ditch right now.

PAT: Yeah. Are there alligators in the ditch?

STU: And there's alligators in the ditch.

PAT: Oh, my gosh.

STU: And what's happening right now is our president seems to be filling the ditch with water while we're still stuck in the car.

PAT: Are there huns, and alligators while we're still stuck in the bottom of the ditch?

STU: I think there are huns. I think there are huns there.

PAT: Huns, Vikings and alligators.

STU: And Attila is in there, too.

PAT: Okay.

STU: And the bottom line is

PAT: Is he pulling the other way on the car?

STU: They are pushing us off a 2,000 foot cliff for some reason and we don't understand why. And it starts with, there are larger concepts which I like because politicians will always try to move, "Well, we're going to lower taxes .004% over the next 60 decades and that's their big bold plan.

PAT: That's what Obama did for 95% of all Americans.

STU: $4 a week, Pat, these people were offered $4 a week as long as they didn't have a business or

PAT: Well, you had to pay it back at the end of the year.

STU: Right.

PAT: But for a while it wasn't deducted from your check. It was a really cool extra 4 bucks. You could do whatever you wanted with.

STU: If you invested it

PAT: Buy a new house.

STU: You could make $4.03 at the end of the year.

PAT: Maybe. Maybe. Yeah. So

STU: But these are big and they are pretty

PAT: Stop your whining. You should be thanking him.

STU: Right. You should be.

PAT: You should.

STU: You should be and I don't know why they are not getting the credit they should. But the broke thing because these are things that actually could happen. The first thing I read was there are three constitutional amendments. Now, this is something we don't amendment the Constitution regularly, but there's no reason we couldn't make these three amendments, three amendments. That's all we're looking for, these three. Well, that's not all we're looking for, but their main three amendments that are bipartisan. Everyone should be supporting them.

PAT: Amendment 1.

STU: I don't have them in front of me. You want me to list? That's the book. You are supposed to read the book to get the amendments.

PAT: All right. Where can I get it?

STU: Amendment 1, keep cars out of ditches. No more ditch analogies, no more 2,000 foot ditch analogies.

PAT: Like that.

STU: No more careening. Al Franken can never use the word careening ever again, although he did it multiple times in his analogy.

PAT: Okay.

STU: So I don't think

PAT: But if I wanted to get the book, where would I get it?

STU: I would say GlennBeck.com/books

PAT: Hardware?

STU: Bookstores everywhere.

PAT: Is it available in the Home Depot?

STU: It's available at Home Depot in the fix it section.


 

THE DOCUMENTS for the 'Arming Ukraine Debate' Glenn TV special

Laurent Van Der Stockt / Contributor, NICHOLAS KAMM / Contributor | Getty Images

Are you in favor of ongoing aid to Ukraine? Glenn is one of the most outspoken critics of sending aid, arguing that we have become a proxy Ukrainian government and an active participant in the war against Russia. He has also warned we are on a path toward World War III.

However, many conservative leaders believe that supporting Ukraine is in the U.S.'s best national interests. Glenn wanted to give his audience BOTH sides of this important debate. On Wednesday night's Glenn TV special, Glenn hosted two experts, one in favor of ongoing support to Ukraine and one against it.

Glenn wants YOU to be informed about this crucial issue—that's why he is giving his newsletter subscribers EXCLUSIVE access to the documents containing the research and Glenn's pro and con arguments over Ukrainian aid.

Do your own homework

Not already signed up for Glenn's newsletter or missed the one with the documents? No problem. Sign up below we'll email you a PDF of the documents connected to this special, so you can download it directly to your device.

Watch the full special below (or watch on BlazeTV here):


Let me put the language surrounding the war in Ukraine into perspective. I think you will have your eyes opened to what we are REALLY facing.

Dmitry Medvedev. You remember him, right? He's the former Russian President from 2008-2012 who went on to become Prime Minister. He wrote a chilling op-ed piece in the state-run newspaper indicating that there's a REAL nuclear threat if the U.S. continues to supply arms to Ukraine. He, along with Vladimir Putin has invoked the nuclear option in an effort to deter the U.S.-led NATO alliance from arming Ukraine.

RELATED: Tune in TONIGHT on BlazeTV at 9 pm ET for the Glenn TV special exclusively on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Medvedev, who currently serves as a deputy chairman of the powerful security council of Russia, dangled the prospects of peace talks while demanding the immediate halt of all arms shipments to Ukraine. He wrote, "Any existential threat to Russia, would not be decided on the front in Ukraine but would spiral into an existential threat to all of human civilization. We do not need a world without Russia." He was echoing the words that Putin said on Sunday:

The U.S. and its NATO allies want to inflict a strategic defeat on us. The aim is to make our people suffer. How can we ignore their nuclear capabilities in these conditions? They have tried to reshape the world exclusively on their terms. We have no choice, but to react. If Washington gets its way, Russia will be divided into Moscow, the Urals, and other disparate regions. It would be a world without Russia.

Most people, who are not paying attention—and I mean politicians—do not know what that phrase means: "We do not need a world without Russia." It is a very important phrase, the same one that Medvedev used in his op-ed. We must first understand the origin of that phrase to understand its significance, and it harkens back to the deeply dangerous man influencing the Russian government behind the curtain, the modern-day Rasputin, Alexander Dugin.

I have, for a long time, read everything I could on the political philosopher Aleksander Dugin. He's a really bad guy, as I've been telling you for a long time. He explicitly states that he wants to bring about a new world order, ruled by Russia, ushering the world to its end.

There's an award-winning journalist in Moscow named Andrey Loshak, who has been speaking out against Dugin. I want you to read an excerpt of his research about Dugin translated into English. He is warning against dismissing Dugin as a "petty fraudster," interested in nothing but money, or a "windbag," who excites only Western political scientists. But I must warn you: we should NOT underestimate his influence, no matter how crazy we find his ideas, especially because those ideas tend to become reality.

Here is the excerpt

I remember accidentally attending a lecture by Dugin, on angelic entities in the late '90s. It was an unbearable exercise in transcendental sophistry, dealing mainly with the image of Lucifer. The fallen angel. There were about 20 people of indeterminate age and gender in the auditorium, and I thought at the time, that perhaps they too were fallen angelic entities, who have come to listen to a lecture about themselves.

In the mid-naughties, I ran into Dugin at a gig at the Akira Club. He dearly loved English apocalyptic folk music for its commitment to Nazi Satanism. His daughter, Daria, apparently did as well. (I recently saw a post about how she did the Nazi salute at a Death in June gig in Moscow.)

It was also in the noughties [between 2000 and 2010] that I visited the summer camp of Dugin’s Eurasian Youth Union (ESM). A building at a dilapidated holiday resort near Zvenigorod had been rented for this purpose. A building at a dilapidated resort near Zelengrad that had been rented for this purpose.

There were not many young people in attendance, about thirty or forty. Many were wearing Russian peasant shirts, because Dugin had realized that his Nazi-Satanist strategy had no great future in modern Russia, and so he had declared himself an Old Believer. [Glenn: An old believer is an Eastern Orthodox Christian, who thinks that the reforms of 1652 and 1666 were too modern].

Before meals, a round-faced bearded man would proclaim in a bass voice, “Angels at the table!” and those present would cross themselves. At night, the young people lined up with lighted torches on the banks of the Moscow River to take "The Oath of a Eurasian."

Back then, Dugin adored the black magic, ceremonies, and rituals [...]. He and [composer and musician Sergey] Kuryokhin had bonded over this stuff, and Dugin had ignited Kuryokhin with fascist ideas (eventually burning him to a crisp). The wording of the oath was pompous and not bereft of poetry. I recall that the word “will” was intoned more often than curses against “Atlanticist” liberals. [Glenn: That would be us, the people of the sea, as he calls them. Or Atlanticists, people of the North Atlantic Treaty. Will in mind, will in mind, the puny lads and lasses repeated in unison after Dugin].

It would have smacked of Triumph of the Will were it not for the outward appearance of the young Eurasians, which was far from Aryan perfection. At the time, I couldn’t have imagined, of course, that a goofy postmodern cult would someday become the ideological mainstream, and that by 2022 the entire country would be caught up in this sect.

In 2011, the party youth under the leadership of Dugin staged the occult mystery play Finis Mundi (The End of the World) at the ESM’s summer camp. Darya, by the way, played the role of a sacrificial victim who voluntarily self-immolates in order to save Russia. As the girl is burning, a man’s voice proclaims, “Cross yourself with fire, Rus! Burn up in the fire and save your diamond from the black furnace!”

The extravaganza’s director described the concept of the production as follows: "We have to bring the end of the world closer. Antonin Artaud said there is only one means of curing the world’s disease—burning the world, which I illustrated in the play’s final scene, in which the burning of the universe takes place."

In the finale, Dugin came on stage and said, "We have lived three days of our life towards death. I don’t think that the scenes you have staged need to be deciphered. The hermeneutics of the world’s end is the task that faces you in the future."

It is obvious, though, that Dugin is obsessed with the idea of bringing the world to a purgatory apocalypse, after which the Great Eurasian Empire of the End will be born. And he has quite consistently pursued this goal. When the “conservative turn” dawned, Dugin moved away from occult postmodernism, focusing instead on the topic of “tradition,” for which there was a sudden demand. The Kremlin had been frantically searching for new ideologemes with which to oppose the official enemy, liberalism.

Dugin finally turned from a bohemian guru into a sought-after ideologue of the regime. There is one convincing bit of evidence that speaks to this being the case. In 2014, Dugin ends his programmatic article about the ideology of the new Russia as follows: "Russia will either be Russian—that is, Eurasian, that is, the core of the great Russian World—or it will disappear. But then it would be better that everything disappear. There is simply no reason to live in a world without Russia."

Four years later, Putin would repeat this idea almost verbatim in an interview with [TV talk-show host Vladimir] Solovyov on the topic of the nuclear threat: “Why do we need such a world if there is no Russia there?” Dugin had seemingly managed to captivate the dictator with his most terrible idea: hastening the world’s end.

In this context, Darya’s death appears especially ominous. Many people were struck by the young woman’s funeral today. [They were struck] by the behavior of a father who had lost his daughter [but] delivered propaganda tirades in an unnaturally trembling voice and appealed [to Russians] to fight to the bitter end. Moreover, I had the strange feeling that Dugin was directing this spectacle.

Perhaps I am mistaken, but this looks as if it came from the playbook of the stager of occult mystery plays and black masses, and not that of a crook from the state Duma. If we assume for a second that this is true, it really gets creepy. “We will go to heaven, and they will just drop dead,” Putin said when asked to explain what the phrase "we don’t need a world without Russia" had meant.

This is exactly what Dugin calls the "hermeneutics of the world’s end," only couched in the dialect of the backstreets, which the dictator speaks fluently. It sometimes seems to me that they have already made the "final decision." They have not only canceled Ukraine. They have canceled the world.

Let me summarize this for you: the phrase "we don't need a world without Russia" is harkening to Dugin's call for a new world order, which will eventually result in the world's end. In short, this phrase is the language of the world's end. And now Russia's leaders are using it in their speeches.

Dugin does not believe Armageddon brings heaven to earth in the way Christians normally do. He believes Armageddon will renew the earth, and Russia will lead the world. There just has to be some Russian leadership left.

Now, I'm going to give you the rest of Medvedev's opinion piece. It is really important that you read it. I don't believe anyone in this White House or the Pentagon is paying any attention. I don't think our leaders understand who they're dealing with. I hope somebody starts to pay attention to this, because if this is correct, we are in for a completely different ending than what they intend out of this ongoing war in Ukraine.

Medvedev said that any attempt to take Crimea would result in "the flaming of all of Ukraine and with the forces at Russia's disposal, including nuclear weapons. In accordance with our dock to your knowledge documents, including the fundamentals of nuclear deterrence. All of Ukraine, that will remain under the rule of Kyiv. Will burn."

What Medvedev wrote is a chilling warning. He is quoting Clause 19 of the Russian fundamentals, which says that Russia may use nuclear weapons "in the event of aggression against Russia, with the use of conventional weapons, when the very existence of the state is threatened."

Let me make this clear: the phrase "we don't need a world without Russia," is now being used by Russian leaders to invoke the use of nuclear weapons. The more we antagonize them to believe that "the very existence of the state is threatened," the more fodder we are feeding to their ideological fire calling for a new world order and nuclear warfare. We HAVE got to stop this war path.

AUDIENCE CHOICE: Here are 14 'manly films' that YOU recommended!

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox, Paramount Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Last week, Glenn's staff compiled a list of 14 "manly" movies that display positive depictions of manhood. It was such a hit that Glenn's audience wanted to chime in! We have compiled PART 2 of the "manly movie list" based on recommendations from YOU! Did YOUR recommendation make the list? Tell us what you think!


Gladiator

This was the first film recommended by Glenn's audience. There are fewer films that portray the themes of dignity, honor, sacrifice, and wisdom in difficult circumstances better than The Gladiator. Russell Crowe stars as Maximus, a once-honored general under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus is made a slave after the emperor's death under the new reign of Aurellius' jealous and power-hungry son. Maximus displays how to choose dignity in the face of temptation and to never compromise character for the sake of convenience and power. He embodies sacrifice, surrendering himself for the sake of honoring his family and country. Rated R

Braveheart

It comes as no surprise that Glenn's audience highlighted this classic. Like The Gladiator, Mel Gibson's iconic portrayal of the legendary Scottish warrior, William Wallace, displays how to use strength to fight for justice and freedom in the midst of injustice and oppression. He also shows the ultimate display of strength through sacrifice—giving his life for the sake of his ideals and countrymen. Rated R

Dances with Wolves

Glenn's audience was quick to recommend this classic. Kevin Costner plays a Civil War Union soldier John Dunbar who wants to see the frontier "before it's gone." He encounters the Lakota Indians and lives among them, attracted to the simplicity of their life. They give him the name, "Dancing With Wolves." Costner is caught in the middle of the conflict between the Native Americans and the growing westward presence in the U.S. The film shows Costner standing on his convictions and trying to be a voice for both sides rather than an agent of conflict. Rated PG-13

Band of Brothers

Though this is a TV series, it is no wonder why Glenn's audience highlighted this production. The iconic World War II-era series displays themes of strength and sacrifice, and shows how to rely on your "brothers" through unbelievably difficult challenges. The 101st Airborne Division is one of the most revered heroes in America's history, and this series does them justice! Rated R

The Adam Project

This recent Netflix film is a rare example of a modern Hollywood film portraying positive views of manhood and fatherhood. The dystopian film follows Adam Reed, played by Ryan Reynolds, who travels back in time from 2050 to 2018 to save his wife. Due to a malfunction, Reed crashes into 2022 and enlists the help of his younger self on his mission. The coming-of-age movie displays the struggles and victories of growing up as well as wrestling with the shortcomings of your parents that follow you into manhood. Rated PG-13

Men of Honor

Based on an incredible true story, Men of Honor follows Carl Brashear, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., the world's first black master diver, who overcame discrimination and struggles to become one of the most celebrated men in the Navy. Brashear, an ambitious sharecropper, joins the Navy's elite diving unit and battles against his discriminatory commanding officer, Master Chief Billy Sunday, played by Robert DeNiro. The story shows how heroes are made from personal character and perseverance in the face of challenges and oppression. Rated R

Heartbreak Ridge

Glenn's audience wanted to highlight a Clint Eastwood film and some were quick to recommend Heartbreak Ridge. Eastwood plays Marine Sgt. Thomas Highway, a decorated veteran of two wars. On his last posting before retirement, Highway is surrounded by officers with no combat experience who view him as a holdover "past his prime." Highway is assigned to train a group of undisciplined recruits who don't believe a war will ever come—but then the U.S. invades Grenada. This is a classic film about leadership and holding high standards of excellence, even when you don't think it necessary. Rated R

True Grit

Glenn's audience demanded a John Wayne film to be included on the list, and it is no wonder why! There are few figures who are associated with "manliness" like John Wayne, the icon of the Western movie genre alongside Clint Eastwood. We chose to highlight his classic film, True Grit, and his role as Marshall Reuben J. Cogburn. Though the film begins with Cogburn as a tough, money-hungry U.S. Marshall, he is transformed by a teenage girl, Mattie Ross, who hires him to help find her father's murderer. In the end, he risks everything to protect Ross, who he endearingly calls, "little sis." Like many Westerns, the film is also about traveling into the unknown and unruly to find yourself and bring about justice. Rated G

Secondhand Lions

This star-studded duo cast of Michael Cain and Robert Duvall depicts how strong male figures transform the life of a young boy yearning for direction, mentors, and love. The movie follows a shy boy named Walter, who is taken by his greedy mother to spend the summer with his two hard-headed great-uncles, Hub and Garth, who are rumored to possess a large fortune. His mother hopes that they will show him where their fortune is hidden. At first, the two old men, who are both set in their ways, find Walter's presence a nuisance. Eventually, they warm up to Walter and recount all the tales from their past, becoming the strong father figures he never had. In return, Walter helps rekindle their youthful spirit. Rated PG

Iron Will

A classic "coming-of-age" film, Iron Will tells the story of a teenager named Will Stoneman, who competes in a 500-mile-long dog sledding race to help financially support his mother after his father's death leaves his family in financial ruin. He battles with older, seasoned dog sledders who plot to bring about his demise as he continues to push ahead in the race. The movie shows how a young man chooses strength, dignity, and perseverance to overcome his challenges, rather than succumbing to the dubious plots of his competitors. Rated PG

Devotion

Devotion tells the incredible true story of Jesse Brown, the first black aviator in U.S. Navy history, and his enduring friendship with fellow fighter pilot, Tom Hudner. Their friendship, courage, and sacrifice helped turn the tide in one of the most consequential battles of the Korean War, making them two of the most celebrated wingmen in U.S. history. Rated PG-13

12 O'Clock High

The Hollywood legend Gregory Peck stars as the "no-nonsense" Brigadier General Frank Savage, who assumes command of an American Air Force stationed in England in 1942 that is plagued by a lack of morale. This World War II-era classic is a story of how good leadership can transform those around you. Not rated

Schindler's List

This gritty Holocaust-era classic displays how an ordinary man can be transformed into an extraordinary one. Erich Schindler was a man thirsty for power and money, who used Jewish labor to save on costs in his textile factory in Krakow, Poland. He was transformed by the horror of the Holocaust to view the Jewish people as an end in themselves, instilled with inherent dignity, rather than a mere means to an end. He gives up his entire fortune, reputation, and even risks his life to save as many Jewish people as possible by enlisting them to work in his factory. It is one of the most beautiful stories of transformation and redemption in the midst of suffering and evil. What's even more remarkable? It's based on a TRUE story. Rated R

The Right Stuff

Based on the acclaimed Tom Wolf novel under the same name, The Right Stuff tells the story of the first 15 years of America's space program, chronicling the professional and personal lives of the Mercury astronauts. The film highlights leadership in the face of political turmoil and traveling to the "unknown." Will you stand by your principles not only when the world is crumbling around you, but when you travel outside the known world? This film is a great example of leadership in the face of the unknown. Rated PG

Only 30 percent of Americans are married, falling almost 60 percent since 1970. This should concern you.

The National Center for Family Research (NCFMR) published a groundbreaking study showing the plummeting marriage rates over the past 50 years. While marriage rates have slightly fluctuated between 1890-1970, they plunged precipitously starting in 1970 to today. While 76.5 percent of Americans were married in 1970, the rate more than halved down to a mere 31.1 percent in 2023.

During a pro-family legislators' conference in 2022, Glenn described the family as "sacred." This was a widely-accepted notion for most of our history. However, the notion that "marriage is sacred" is now considered an archaic notion and is rather viewed as an option of convenience and mutual benefit. How did our cultural assumptions about marriage change so drastically?

The notion that "marriage is sacred" is now considered an archaic notion.

What happened?

It comes as no surprise that the precipitous plunge began during the sexual revolution of the 1970s, catalyzing the breakdown of marriage and the family. Johns Hopkins sociologist Andrew Cherlin told Axios that marriage “used to be a basic institution that everyone had to buy into in early adulthood. You got married, then you moved in together, and then you got a job.” However, according to Cherlin, “Marriage is now becoming the last step into adulthood." First, you look for a job, then you move in with your partner before you tie the knot—only if it's convenient. We have flipped the natural progression of adulthood on its head.

The notion that marriage has become an "option" is evidenced in the report, which found that those getting married for the first time between the ages of 40-59 have skyrocketed in recent years and that delayed marriages have increased by 75 percent since 1990.

“Marriage is now becoming the last step into adulthood."

Moreover, rising cohabitation rates indicate that adults are opting for relationships with an "out" option rather than life-long marital commitments and those who are choosing to get married are increasingly integrating the perks of 21st-century singlehood into their relationships. Nearly 4 million married Americans are "living alone together" (LAT), a growing movement of married couples who live separately to retain the independence that they enjoyed while being single.

Minorities are affected disproportionally.

The decline in marriages is especially prevalent in minority communities, particularly minority women. The report found that marriages amongst Hispanic women declined 33 percent, and marriages amongst black women declined as much as 60 percent within the 50-year time period. Only 26 percent of black women are married, accounting for the lowest proportion of married individuals among all demographic groups. Asian women, on the other hand, have the highest marriage rates among all demographics at 56 percent.

We're living with the consequences.

The sexual revolution has transformed marriage into an option of convenience in the "last step" of adulthood rather than the assumed pre-requisite for it. The revolution purported to emancipate, particularly women, from the obligations of traditional marriage, promising more satisfaction and fulfillment. Did it fulfill its promises? The results are in, and the answer is a resounding no. Fifty years after the revolution, married Americans report the highest levels of fulfillment and satisfaction when compared to those who are single or cohabitating. Moreover, mental health is at a breaking point. As Glenn reported, suicide rates skyrocketed 30 percent in 2022, with a 50 percent increase in the black community alone. Are we really more satisfied and fulfilled than our parents and grandparents 50 years ago? The evidence says otherwise.

Perhaps the "archaic" notion that "marriage is sacred," as Glenn defends, actually has some wisdom to it.