What is SWIFT, and why did Europe NOT ban Russia from using it? Are Biden’s sanctions against Putin truly ‘severe,’ like he claims? And how should YOU prepare for possible energy price increases, cyberattacks, or more? Carol Roth, author of ‘The War On Small Business,’ joins Glenn to answer all your questions about the current situation in Russia & Ukraine.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: This is the Glenn Beck Program. Russia claims to have destroyed 74 Ukrainian facilities, 11 airbases. We don't know what their ultimate plans are at this point.
Biden is moving -- may move additional U.S. troops further east in Europe. It looks like the sanctions -- if this is true -- Stu, can you read that story that you just told me about? The swift banking procedures.
STU: Yeah, the European Union is saying they are unlikely, at this stage, to take steps to cut Russia from the swift global interbank system.
GLENN: That's insanity. If you're going to -- if you're going to cut them off. You have to cut them off at the knees right now. You know, if you give him time. I mean, there should be -- if the sanctions are serious. Otherwise, don't do them.
But if they're serious, you cut him off, from selling any oil or gas, anywhere in the West. Don't let anybody fly from Russia, into the west.
Don't let him do any banking. I mean, the entire country, sorry. Frozen.
That's -- that's -- those are sanctions. Everything else is a joke.
We have Representative Mark Green on with us. He's from Tennessee. Congressman, how are you, sir?
MARK: Glenn, I'm great. And thank you for having me on your show. Real honor.
GLENN: Sure. I know we're going to talk about something we were going to introduce on Monday. But I wanted to first pick your brain about Ukraine, and what we should be doing, and what do you think this means?
MARK: We're in a totally new era now. This is an invasion of a western-style democracy, by a totalitarian dictator. And I agree with you, what you've just said. The swift banking transactions. You -- we can't do this, half measures.
I mean, that's what got us -- this is what got us where we are.
And so it's -- I think -- I think we need to -- we need to crush their energy economy.
We need to crush the ruble. Their currency.
They cannot ever think of doing this again.
GLENN: You know, Biden said, that he's going to have sanctions on him. Beyond his wildest expectations. Or some, you know, hyperbolic statement like that.
And it reminds me of the full force and power of the United States.
When we said that in Iraq.
And I remember watching it, going, that's the full force of the United States?
No, it's not. It was good.
But that's not the full force of the United States.
I don't. I mean, if he doesn't come out with real sanctions today, we have even less credibility than we had earlier.
MARK: Absolutely. If he doesn't do those banking sanctions, what he's doing is sanctioning what Vladimir Putin has done.
Because the next step will be disinformation campaigns, and saboteurs in Georgia, the Baltics. This guy is bent on destroying the West. He wants to do to the West what happened to the Soviet Union.
And he's -- this is his next move in a bigger plan.
GLENN: I look at what happened in Canada, with the truckers.
And how fast they can move to shut people off.
And I am -- you know, Vladimir Putin said a few years ago, that World War III, which he claimed at the time, we were already in. The West just didn't know. It he said, World War III will be fought with ones and zeros.
If we do put sanction on him today, that make his life uncomfortable, you know, I believe we could see financial sectors hit by hackers. Energy sectors hit here in the United States.
And it makes me very nervous, that that would be something our government would say, we need to crack down on everything online, and take control of it. Just to protect you.
That seems -- it seems too easy.
MARK: Well, we certainly have authoritarians in control in the US now. With this president, and the Democrats in certain states. You just look at the covid response, and the woke cancel culture.
And, you know, it's -- it's not a far reach, to -- to think that they would do something like that. But I anticipate -- and I think you're right.
There will be cyber attacks, on the US. There already have been. The pipeline shutdown was -- was clearly --
GLENN: Correct.
MARK: Criminal elements. They say, criminal elements inside Russia.
GLENN: Uh-huh. Okay.
MARK: Yeah. That's right.
GLENN: Yeah. China came out last night, and there was a leaked report, which leaks don't happen in China. But there was a leaked report from the media that said, the media needs to support Russia. Because we're going to need Russia's support. When we deal with America.
On Taiwan. How concerned are you, with the relationship, between China and Russia?
MARK: Well, I'm very concerned, that this axis is forming between Iran, Russia, and China. And, you know, as -- if you look at history, and I know you are a lover of history.
But if you go back to the end of the 30-year war. We created this sort of world order concept. And what began was the polarity cycle. Where, after a great war, there's exhaustion. There's some kind of treaty. And there's multi-polarity, countries are treated equally.
And then over time, balance of power. Politics takes over. Some countries can afford that. Some can't. So there's alignment.
And eventually the world, the region aligns into this bipolar state. And then massive war usually follows. And this has been my concern, I've been echoing this for years. That we have to be careful.
I genuinely believe that's why Biden and his administration don't want to do the swift transactions. They think it pushes Russia further into China's arms.
But I would submit, I think they're already there. They're strategically cooperating to basically pin us.
And so I -- I -- that's why I think devastating action needs to happen.
And perhaps, as Xi Jinping watches that, he'll take note.
GLENN: We have sold our soul to the devil. With China.
And this is something you're going to introduce on -- on Monday. But people don't have any idea how -- what the influence, that we're already getting in television and movies, how China is truly influencing everything.
Can you talk a little bit about the screen act?
MARK: Yeah. Absolutely. And, of course, thank you for having me on, to talk about this. Americans are aware of what's happening with the NBA. With the suppression. Force.
I mean, they took that one player from the Celtics off. I mean, he's basically not playing basketball anymore.
They have canceled other people from making statements. So they've -- everybody knows about the NBA kowtowing to China.
What a lot of people aren't aware of is that our movies are part of China's disinformation campaign in the U.S.
And they -- you take movies like Sky Fall. And Mission Impossible 3. They actually changed the script of the movie, to be more positive towards China. And it's just example after example, Dr. Strange was supposed to be in the script from Tibet. But, of course, the Chinese don't want anything talked about the suppression or oppression that's happening there. So the movie script was changed, and the guy was Celtic.
So this stuff is going on in America, to Hollywood. And they're doing the same things.
Now, there are some actors speaking up. You take a guy like Richard Gere, who stepped up, and said this is going on.
But it's really unacceptable.
I've written this bill. Go ahead.
GLENN: I was just going to say, he has paid a heavy, heavy price.
He's outspoken on the evils of China. And, you know, the peacefulness of Tibet and what's going on. And he's paid a heavy price. It's why his career was lost all of a sudden.
MARK: Yeah. They are canceling people who speak out on this. There was actually a Beijing-born director, producer, who came to America. Made some great movies.
But then they found something that she said, back eight years ago, where she said, the Chinese Communist Party are a bunch of liars. And there's nothing in China, but lies. And she immediately got silenced.
So it's massive.
GLENN: Wow.
MARK: And what we're doing is basically saying. If you take American dollars.
And the State Department. And DOD, oftentimes support movies being made.
So if you're taking taxpayer dollars. You cannot alter that movie, to meet China's demands.
And if you do, we're taking that money back.
GLENN: What -- help me out here.
Why are we -- why is the government supporting movies? And funding movies to be made?
MARK: Well, if you think about it from the DOD's perspective. If they, for example, loan a helicopter, for a military newbie, it serves to recruit people into the military.
So it's somewhat of a recruitment budget. Then from the State Department's standpoint, it's tourism.
GLENN: Okay. Okay.
All right. Well, I -- I -- I mean, I can see it from the DOD. I don't know about the State Department.
But okay. And you -- what are you expecting?
I mean, is our government not in the pocket of China?
MARK: Well, very clearly, the Democrats do not want to criticize China. I tried to put this as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, and it got voted down in the Armed Services Committee.
So the Democrats don't want to talk about this. We'll launch this bill next week. We'll make a big -- get the press out there.
Try to educate Americans. It probably won't see the light of day in committee.
But we'll get people talking about it. We'll get other Republicans to sign on to the bill. Maybe a Democrat or two. There are a couple of reasonable ones out there.
I was impressed by what (inaudible) said about Obama and Ukraine. That was a great comment from him. The real weakness in America, started with Obama.
So there are a couple out there. We'll get them on. We'll get the word out about it. Then when we take control of the house and the ball, we have to deliver for the American people on this issue and so many others. And we're going to. So that's the next battle.
GLENN: I have one minute left. I have to ask you: Are we -- are we going to war?
Do you foresee going to war? In Ukraine? And Europe, with this.
MARK: Not immediately. Because, one, we're not going to send troops there. We will send military aid to them. And we will continue to do that. Putin won't push beyond Ukraine now.
He'll get in there. Get a puppet government set up. And slowly start his disinformation capable, in the next country. So it's not something that will happen tonight. But we are at war with them, in a sense. You think of military, kinetic war. But there's also informational war. Diplomatic war. Economic war. All those other phases are ongoing now.
GLENN: Okay. Thank you so much, Congressman.
