RADIO

Are Attacks Against Free Speech Meant to Protect a New "Religion"?

An op-ed titled “The First Amendment Is Out of Control” was recently published in the New York Times. In it, law professor Tim Wu argues that free speech arguments – especially for online speech – are now used to protect corporate interests and harm everyday citizens. While Glenn admits that he makes a persuasive argument, he lays out another take on what free speech STILL means: “You can speak your mind without fear of censorship or persecution.” Is that the version of free speech that our government and media are currently standing up for? Or are they instead trying to censor anyone who speaks out against their new “religion”?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: You know, I talked to you a little bit about the story in the New York Times yesterday. The First Amendment is out of control.

Tomorrow is Independence Day. And we should all review what freedom of speech is really meant for, and what it is. Now, it was written by a guy named would. He's a law professor at Columbia. (?) and he writes about tech and everything else.

And he says, First Amendment was a tool that helped the underdog. But sometime in this century, the judiciary lost the plot. Judges have transmuted a constitutional provision meant to protect the unpopular opinion, into an all-purpose tool of legislative nullification, that now mostly protects corporate interests. So he's making the case, that we've turned it upside down.

And I have to tell you, he makes a persuasive case here.

But he is wrong in the end. Let me just skip to this.

He's talking about regulation of the internet. Such regulation is not always perfect to be sure. But it represents a legitimate tool which democratic governments can stand up to private power. The next phase (?) the regulation of artificial intelligence.

I fear the First Amendment will be extended to the -- to protect machine speech. At considerable human cost. I 100 percent agree with that.

It's something I have been warning about, for about three decades. In our era, the power of private actors has grown to rival that of nation states.

True again. Most powerful are the big tech platforms. True again.

Which in their cocoon-liken compassing of humanity has grown to (?) in ways that would make totalitarian states jealous.

Correct again. In a democracy, no. Republic. The people ought to have a right to react and control such private power. As long as it does not trample on the rights of the individual.

Again, correct!

But thanks to the Supreme Court, the First Amendment has become a barrier to the government's ability to do that.

Free speech rights have been hijacked to suppress the sovereignty of humans. In favor of the power and companies. And machines.

Okay.

So wait.

But, no. There's a the difference between individuals, and the government.

And regulations, and suggestions. You want to regulate. Okay. Regulate.

And let's have that not going G through the administrative state.

Let's have that go (?) through Congress.

Let's have that debate. A serious debate about it.

We can do that. And I think the -- the right of the individual, is what will win in that. If we don't have some closed door, you know, Google writing the bill. But actual debate, the way Congress is supposed to work.

Then I think, free speech will win. Because it's a strong argument. For the people. But what the Supreme Court was talking about, was, well, now, wait a minute.

I think the government, you know -- maybe -- maybe we send it down to the lower court. And have them reexamine this.

Because should the government be able to just say, hey.

You really need to -- you need to silence these people P

No. The government (?) should never have that power. Ever. Ever. Ever.

Freedom of speech is the cornerstone. It is why it is the first amendment.

Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press.

The way that the people can stand up against the government.

They can stand up against the government. They can question our government.

They can demand answers from our government. They have a press that should be completely separate from the government. To stand guard, against the government.

Remember, this whole document was made to stop a government from becoming tyrannical.

So if you're afraid of, you know, Trump or Biden becoming a tyrant, your answer, the only answer should be, return to the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

The freedom of speech thing, is so important. Again, it was the first.

But what it means is, you can speak your mind, without fear of censorship or persecution.

Now, that doesn't make you popular.

But it does mean that the government and those powerful institutions can do nothing against you, to stop you.

Would you like it if a church all of a sudden was in charge, and said

You can't say these things?

I mean, how many people on the left believe in burning the flag?

You have a right to do that.

Okay.

So why did the kid -- oh, gosh. Where was it? Never

In Oregon. The kid that burned rubber on the pride flag that was painted on the road.

He was just charged with a felony!

A felony!

What is that? Other than, a religion?

Or a government saying, this is what we stand for, and you will not tarnish it!

Excuse me?

I don't want that happening through a church. I don't want that happening through the government.

I don't -- I would like people to self-regulate. But things like peeling out on the pride flag. That happens sometimes, not because of homophobia. Sometimes it is homophobia.

Other times, it is just -- you know what, I'm a rebel. You are telling me, and jamming this down my throat.

No!

And it's their only way for freedom of speech. That's the case that is made for burning down the flag.

Why is it different on the pride flag?

See, we have a -- if we didn't have freedom of speech. We wouldn't understand anything.

Because the things that were said at some point or another, that have made progress, and pushed us into new areas. Have always seemed crazy. Or dangerous.

But they move us forward. Well, I'm not talking about speech that moves us forward, makes progress. I mean the speech that's dangerous.

Oh, really? Because that's what every authoritarian and theocratic (?) dictator always says. The problem is: Who is in charge of judging what's dangerous and not?

The church? The government? Academia? Some other group or organization that would have the power to silence people?

Remember, the only speech that needs protecting is the speech that either the majority doesn't like, or power doesn't like.

You know, the world was flat for a very long time.

And for centuries, that was the accepted view.

And challenging it seemed like (?) and later during the age of exploration.

Ferdinand Magellan. And Christopher Columbus. Dared to propose or demonstrate otherwise.

It was their courage to speak out and explore beyond the known boundaries. That led to an understanding of what the earth really was.

Now, the power didn't want it.

The church didn't want that.

The church would prosecute and persecute anybody.

You know how they got King Ferdinand to do it?

Gold.

I'm telling you, there's lots of gold. What happens if he's wrong. He falls off the edge of the earth. Big deal.

The idea that the sun revolves around the earth. Or is it the earth revolves around the sun. That faced significant resistance.

Copernicus and Galileo.

Pioneers, revolutionary idea, went against the power of the time.

In 1633, the Catholic Church, which was the power, tried Galileo, during the inquisition. And forced to -- forced him to recant under threat of torture.

Okay. Who is deciding what free speech is good? What's progress? What's not?

It's easy to see them in reverse. You know what Socrates was killed for? He was killed bit government. He went through a fair trial.

(?) you know what he was killed for? Because he was corrupting the youth of Athens.

Because he encouraged questioning the established norms and beliefs.

Anybody who ever says, don't -- you can't question that. Don't question that.

You should run from. Socrates was corrupting the youth, because he said, question everything. Jeer Don zero Bruno, I think was his name. (?) he's the guy who said there's infinite suns and innet worlds. He was burned at the stake, in the inquisition of 1600.

Martin Luther, as well as Martin Luther King. How about Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla? The war of currents. This was all about power, literally, and figuratively.

Power and money.

Here's Thomas Edison, who is using the system, to stifle invasion.

Edison wants (?) direct current. Because he was losing that battle, because it didn't make sense and it wasn't working.

He had to discredit Tesla.

And he did it through smear campaigns. And propaganda.

He had public demonstrations where he got this sick doctor to go, and electrocute animals, using Tesla's alternating current.

He would take down horses, dogs, whatever you have. (?) Tesla wants to put in your house.

Thank God we weren't afraid of the scare tactics. Because that's what we all have in our house today.

Or at least we will for a while, until they believe up with something even better. That you're not allowed to question.

If you can't challenge prevailing wisdom, if you can't propose a new idea, if you can't say, wait a minute. This doesn't make any sense, everything stops.

Progress depends on the free exchange of ideas. And if you get rid of your opposition, life falls apart. Even the Bible says, opposition in all things. You have to have the metal and the flint. It's when they rub together, when they strike against each other, that's when a spark is made. And that's when things change.

This is what we're arguing about right now. It should show you the health of America.

I mean, when you have a cold, the doctor might talk to you about, okay. I want you to take this, and this, and this. And just get some bed rest.

But when you have a cold, and you have cancer, the doctor is not talking about the cold. Okay?

He's talking about cancer.

Our cancer is so deep, we're down to the fundamentals. We're down to. Okay.

You can't lose freedom of speech.

You can't lose your -- your protection against your own civil rights. We're down to the big ones.

That's how sick this body is.

Meanwhile, they want you to yell and scream about Biden or Trump.

Or whatever. It's the fundamental rights, that are first expressed in our Declaration of Independence.

Something that was signed and agreed upon on July 2nd. Finally announced to the American people, on July 4th.

That we should be concentrating on.

I urge you, this Independence Day, tomorrow, and I know your family will roll their eyes and go, Dad. Please. At least mine do all the time.

Dad, please.

Read the Declaration of Independence. Tomorrow.

Read it. Understand it. Work through it with your kids.

Work through it with yourself. It's still alive today.

RADIO

This Russian nuke warning is HORRIFIC… for an UNEXPECTED reason

Glenn Beck reviews a video of Aleksandr Dugin, known as “Putin’s brain,” warning that nuclear war is inevitable. But this warning from Russia is absolutely terrifying for another reason: it’s NOT REAL …

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Operation Fast and Furious: The TRUE Story of How the Feds were Running Guns into Mexico

The Border Crisis has been ongoing for years, and one of the biggest scandals was the ATF “gunwalking” scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious which occurred during when Barack Obama was President. Glenn Beck talks with John Dodson, the whistleblower who revealed the scandal to get the facts about what happened and why it was a flawed operation from its inception.
Watch the FULL Interview HERE

VIDEOS

Glenn Beck & Piers Morgan REACT to Trump's Iran Strike & What Comes Next

Glenn Beck joins Piers Morgan to react to President Trump's decision to strike Iran's Nuclear Facilities and what could come next with the conflict. Is this just the start of a larger conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, or will this move by Trump put at least a temporary end to the brewing tensions?

RADIO

Meet the pro-Intifada candidate NYC Democrats just elected

New York City Democrats just elected 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a "socialist Muslim", as the Party's candidate for mayor. But Glenn Beck argues that his radical beliefs are actually communist and Islamist.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

VOICE: Z10852. Something weird is going on. The World Trade Center is on fire.

VOICE: Seriously the top of the building. We're trying to get information.

VOICE: Top level of one of the --

VOICE: To unfold from New York City.

VOICE: A plane crashed just --

VOICE: My sister is in that believe. I hope she's okay. I have to come to New York.

VOICE: It's pandemonium.

VOICE: It's raining papers.

VOICE: Wait a minute! Stop just a second. Why are we -- why are we -- I've got breaking news. Breaking news, yesterday. New York City just elected as their mayoral candidate for the left. And the Democrats, a -- a Muslim radical, who is also a communist!

So, you know, it only took you 25 years. It only took you 25 years, New York, to go completely insane.

Somebody who is -- well, I mean, if I might quote Michael malice today. I am old enough to remember when New Yorkers endured 9/11 instead of voting for it.

But you've got a -- you've got a communist jihadist apologist now.

Who was -- you know, well, CAIR put $100,000 behind his bid for New York City mayor.

So you have somebody who is endorsed by CAIR. That's really good.

He also was somebody who said, you know, he was -- he was for the shooting of the United Health Care CEO.

Said he was looking forward to driving down magnum Joan avenue. I don't know. Sounds like supporting people in the streets. Maybe it's just me.

Then he also said that he was going to globalize the intifada, which I think that's -- maybe -- maybe that's just me.

I mean, what do I know?

Tim Miller who is a podcaster. Asked him a few weeks ago. Asked him about his pro Palestinian slogan. Globalized the intifada. And he said, for me, ultimately, what I hear in so many, is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights, in standing up for Palistinian human rights. Oh, is that what you hear, Mr. CAIR?

Really? Huh, that's interesting.

Right. So globalize the intifada.

I mean, I mean, sure, that's -- I mean well, let me go on.

Because I don't want to take him out of context.

He then delved into the semantics of the intifada, citing the United States Holocaust memorial museum's use of a word for a translation for uprising, in an Arabic version of an article, a museum published about the Warsaw ghetto.

Oh!

So this is just a comparison, about the -- the armed rebellion against the Nazis!

I don't know if that makes me feel better!

I mean, if we're globalizing that.

We're the Nazis in this scenario.

Because I don't think it's the Palestinians.

I certainly don't think it's anybody who is like, hey.

Global jihad. I don't think it's those guys.

Or the Nazis. Who are the Nazis in that?

And it seems, if that's what you mean, then it's not just a harmless kind of slogan about human rights. It is a call for violence on the streets.

Because I don't know if you know, that's what happened when the Jews had their uprising against the Nazis.

I'm just saying!

But, hey, hey, free Palestine.

Oh, that's not what that means, gang. That is not what that means, but don't worry about it. He's just going to be possibly the new mayor.

And that's great. By the way, the Columbia faculty members signed a letter defending Hamas.

They were also among the donors to his mayoral campaign.

So, you know, you don't have anything to worry about.

And his father, who used to work at Columbia. Do you know, Stu?

Is his Dad -- is he still a professor at Columbia University?

He said that -- this violent terror thing of Islam, is not a part of Islam. Now, I've read the Koran, and much of the hadith.

And I'm pretty sure the violence is a part of that. But no.

No. This is something entirely new.

And his father while at Columbia university, wanted everybody to know, that this is actually -- this is something that came out of America!

America is really responsible for this.

And, you know, it really started with the Reagan administration, you know, when he started -- when he started with his very religious terms, to finish the war against the evil empire.

So, you know, that's where -- that's where 9/11 came from.

Is what -- don't worry about it! Don't worry about it!

Because who am I? I'm clearly just -- am I an anti-Semite today, or am I an Islamophobic? I can't remember which one.

Oh, it's probably both. Anyway, Islamophobia. Let me just explain Islamophobia. I haven't even gotten to the Communist part of it. Which is really, really -- New York, you're in one for hell of a ride. Buckle up.

It will be a fun rollercoaster for you. My gosh, I've never been happier that I've been away are if New York.

Anyway, I just want I to know, there is Islam. And then there is Islamists. Now, an Islamist is somebody who really wants Sharia law.

That's political Islam!

That's not a faith. That's political Islam.

Now, let me make really -- something really clear. Criticizing Islamism, is not Islamophobia. Pointing out the dangers of, oh. I don't know.

Political Islam. The ideology that seeks to use the tools of democracy, ultimately to destroy democracy, is not an attack on Muslims.

No. Uh-uh.

You know why?

Because Muslims are often the first people in line.

The first victims of the ideology.

So let's draw a bright, bright line between Islam as a faith, millions of people can practice that faithfully and peacefully.

It's mostly peaceful, okay?

Then there's the Islamism.

Islamism is something entirely -- that's a political project.

A theocratic political -- oh. Left loves theocracies. They love it.

Of course, you never see a problem with it.

See it when an Islamist is touting it. Anyway, it's not about prayer. It's not about fasting. It's not about spiritual life.

It's all about power. It's about merging of mosque and state. It's about implementing Sharia, not as a personal code of conduct. But as a governing legal system.

And it's -- it's supremacy.

Absolutely. Faith.

Religion.

It's -- there's one thing that's supreme.

It's misogynistic.

Deeply intolerant of all kinds of things.

Descent. Secularism. Other faiths. Even competing interpretations from inside the faith itself.

It will behead them too.

So let's -- let's be honest here for a second.

You know, CAIR should be labeled an international terror organization.

In my opinion. In my opinion.

Oh, does that make me -- that makes me an Islamophobe. I'm sure. I'm sure they will start a campaign against me on being an Islamophobe.

Stand in line, guys. You've been doing it since 2001, okay?

I don't really care. And I don't think the American people. I think that record, all the grooves are worn-out on that one, okay?

This is not a religion we're talking about. When we're talking about Sharia law. And we're talking about globalize the intifada. What does that mean, actually, to globalize it?

Does that mean we now want to do what is happening to Israel? All over the world?

Has the Palestinian plight become our plight you now, as Americans?

That there has to be an intifada here!

Because it's the kind of the same. You know. It's kind of the same over, you know, with what the Palestinians are going through.

Well, it's very much like what the Jews went through with the Nazis.

That's a weird one. That one makes my head hurt. It's very much the same as that. And very much the same as the fight against Donald Trump.

Oh, this is going to be fun. It's fun!

Really fun. You know, the irony here is, the ones that will scream Islamophobia the most, are the ones in the progressive left, the champions of feminism, LGBTQ rights. And secularism.

They're going to -- no. You want -- they're going to stand with the people, who want to kill them first.

See, this is how smart they are!

This is why it's going to work out well, in New York City.

Let me just say. If you have an ounce of common sense, you run a business, you have an ounce of wealth. And I don't mean wealth like, you know, hey, Lovey.

Let's get on the boat for a three-hour tour with a suitcase full of cash. I mean you saved anything, anything, get the hell out of New York City.

I mean, this is about survival. This is about free speech. This is about women's rights.
Religious pluralism. Secular legal systems. Liberal democracy.

But it's also about failed principles of Communism. Okay?

First, you have to call out political Islam for what it is. Okay?

And we have to do it with the clarity that we call out white nationalism.

Got to do it with that. Got to -- you know, the Klan. Really bad people.

Really bad people.

Anybody who is shouting for globalized intifada?

Pretty bad. Pretty bad people.

Okay?

Now, let's get to communism.

Because that's another cool, cool angle of the new Democratic candidate for -- for mayor of New York City.

That I just -- I think is cuddly and cute. Sure, it led to 100 million deaths. But this time, New York is going to be radically different. Oh, did I use the word radical?

I didn't mean to use that. What's radical about this guy?

Nothing. He's just like you!

Well, not exactly.

But let's talk about communism, next!

Now, the new mayoral candidate that's running there in New York City. That so many young people rushed to defend and vote for. He's promising free buses.

That's going to work out.

Where are you going to get the money for free buses.

It's free!

City-run grocery stores.

Oh, rent freezes. And finally somebody has done it. A 30-dollar minimum wage.

So under the banner of equity. And, you know, we will tax the wealthy. And the corporations. You know, we're going to squeeze another $10 billion out of them.

Really?

Because they're going to call a U-Haul.

You know, they will call something like U-Haul. There will be a lot of -- there will be a lot of movers that are like, how do I get the truck back from Texas or Florida back up to New York? Nobody is moving up there.

But he's going to do it.

Now, his vision isn't really new. You know, just -- just tax people, so we could have city-run grocery stores. You know, I remember -- I'm old enough to remember those city-run grocery stores in Moscow.

They were great.

The shelves were empty.

But that's just Moscow.

It worked out completely different in Venezuela.

Where, oh, no.

It didn't. That's right. The grocery store.

They were eating the zoo animals.

But it will be different in New York.

Because they have rent controls too.

And that will just choke the housing supply, but don't worry. As a young family.

You know, you voted for it.

You know better.

It will work this time.

So, you know, I like building ideas, I just don't like usually building on the graves of 100 million people.

But, you know, why not? Why not?

You know, use this dogma.

And this time, it will be different. It's not like it was in China. Where the great leap forward, was a gross -- a gross parody of progress. Venezuela, which was oil rich. One of the richest nations in the hemisphere now sees 90 percent of its population in poverty!

Yeah. Darn it. You know what they did?

They decided to take state control of things.

You know, like grocery stores. And it worked out well. How is that free busing working out in Venezuela?

I just want to -- I just want to know.

Anyway, then you've got the globalize the intifada. Which is going to drop a little violence in, and anti-Semitism in with your communism.

Which is weird!

Because violence and anti-Semitism, always happen. When it -- when it comes to -- when it comes to communism.

This is weird!

I've got to play something for you. Because this has talked about on me earlier this morning.

Oh, wow.

Wait a minute. This is -- this is the whole coalition coming together here.

So this is going to be good. New York, this is going to be great.

It's going to be great for you.

No. He's going to uplift you. Then the social fabric of New York City is just going to be -- just one.

It's going to be fantastic. Don't worry about your 120 billion dollars in debt. Or your 10 billion-dollar deficit that you have right now.

You are going to charge the rich more taxes, and they will stay right there.

They will be like, you know what, that 46 percent in taxes that I'm paying, this is just not enough. It's just not enough.

I need to pay 60 or 70 percent to be able to pay my fair share. So that's good. That's good. That's good.

You know, they're not risking 100 million people. It's just 8 million people.

This time, it's just 8 million people.

But, hey. For those of you in upstate New York. That aren't going to be part of this experiment.

Don't worry, you get to pay for it. Because they'll kick it up to the state. The state will have to subsidize everything. And don't you love it?

Really, don't you want to subsidize the really crazy ideas of New York City?

I mean, why don't you have a -- why don't you have a democratic socialist. A/k/a communist mayor.

Why haven't you done that? Are you not progressive enough? Are you not looking into the future?

Are you stuck in the past?

I don't know. I don't know. The graveyard is pretty big. I have a hard time getting past that one. You know, yeah, so I'm stuck in the past. Because I can't seem to pass that graveyard, and get to be down the path with you. But it's going to be a paradise.

Forget arithmetic. You know, or human nature. This time, it's going to work. It's going to work. So all right!

Wish I lived in this morning.

No wait. Nope. I don't. Nope, I don't.

And Ted Cruz, stop it. Stop writing, hey, come to Texas. No. No. Don't come to Texas. Don't come to Florida. Go to California. It's beautiful this time of year. Go there. Go there.