Americans on both the Left and Right are losing trust in our institutions FAST. Without this trust, empires across history have collapsed. Glenn reviews the 7 stages of civilization, which eerily describe the rise and fall of many empires, including possibly the United States. Have we reached the final stage before total destruction? Glenn believes it’s very possible…and there’s only one or two steps left before collapse. But there is a way for us to turn around, and he believes FBI Director Kash Patel could make a big difference by releasing the TRUE evidence surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: We've been -- we've been talking about all of the lies that have been told.
Who believes anymore that the traditional media is telling you the truth on anything?
Who believes, that, you know, the media didn't know about Joe Biden.
Who believes that Joe Biden's cancer is a new subject?
Now, that someone hard. Because that very well could be brand-new. But it also, because we don't believe in so many other things. It might have been known when he was still in the White House.
We don't know. But do you believe it?
I'm not asking you what you know, I'm asking you what you believe. Then Kash Patel comes out, along with Dan Bongino.
Two very credible people, on our side.
On Donald Trump's handpicked inside team.
And they say, the -- the Epstein suicide, was a suicide.
And my first response was, uh-uh.
And then I immediately went, but it's coming from these guys. I believe these guys.
I know these guys. So then I started getting into critical thinking.
Okay. What would it take for me to believe them?
And they just have to show us, what they saw.
Because that's a role reversal. They've switched!
They've said it wasn't a suicide.
Never now, all I need to know is, what did you see?
And show it to me!
Okay. Why is this important to use critical thinking?
We just went through four of the seven stages of -- it's called the seven-stage cycle of civilizational collapse.
Okay?
First, the age of pioneers. That's the revolutionary war. Then the age of conquest.
That's the expansion out west. The age of commerce.
That is the really -- the 20th century. Early 20th century.
The age of affluence. Beginning around the Reagan years, where the decay guns. And it becomes about leisure and stuff.
And then fifth, and this is where the last time I read this, I thought we were here, and maybe a little in the sixth. Maybe.
The age of intellect.
Elite rule and fragmentation. Experts and technocrats dominate. Reason replaces faith. Society becomes obsessed with process, bureaucracy, identity, and division. People grow disconnected from elites. Populist backlash begins.
This is France pre-1789. Weimar, Germany, in the 1920s. And the US, post-2000.
The values, relativism, narcissism, hyper-education with moral void. So technocrats dominate? Yes. Reason replaces faith? Yes. Society becomes obsessed with process? Yes. Bureaucracy? Yes.
Identity? Absolutely. And division? The people grow disconnected from elites? Yes. Populist backlash begins? 2016.
Yes. Then you get into the sixth stage. The age of decadence. Moral decline and decline of courage.
Tell me if you can't check every box on this one. National identity collapses.
Hmm. Almost there. Almost.
Immigration, without assimilation. Yes. Public debt surges? Yes. Breads and circumstances replace responsibility? Yes.
Political corruption is normalized? Yes.
Gender confusion? Yes. Family disintegration? Yes. Loss of fertility? Yes. The use of drugs? Yes.
Hedonism dominates? Yes. That's Rome the third through the fifth century. And is this us today?
The values, hedonism, nihilism, and entitlement.
I think yes, yes, and yes.
Then you get into the last phase. Would you agree, Stu, that we've hit everything else in that?
STU: Yeah. We're -- we're here. At some degree or another, we've hit all of those.
GLENN: Okay. The age of decline and collapse. Disintegration.
There is only two things. Number one, internal distrust. Factionalism, and scapegoating.
That's the first. All of that is where we are today, with those stories.
Internal distrust. I don't trust anything. Do you?
Factionalism? Hello! MAGA.
And the -- what? Anti-MAGA. You're either a racist or an antiracist.
And scapegoating.
I don't know.
Jake Tapper. How is your book going?
I think we're there! The last thing to happen, currency collapse. Loss of external power or invasion.
When Donald Trump is in power, I don't think we're going to lose the external power or invasion, unless our currency collapses. And our currency collapse could happen. Nobody -- did you see they downgraded us, yet again, Stu?
You remember 2008?
I'm saying in 2006. 2007. And we will lose our AAA+ status. They will downgrade us.
The -- the quote was, never, from every institution in America. Never.
It will never happen. Ever, ever, ever, ever. It will never, ever happen.
Well, it happened in like 2009. Then it happened again '12 and '16. And they just did it again.
So currency collapse is on the board.
Values, of this era, despair, tribalism, and the choice between authoritarianism or anarchy.
We're there! Okay.
So I don't tell you this to bum you out.
I tell you this, because there is something you can do.
That's why I started today's show with those questions. We must -- I believe this is a national emergency. And I believe Donald Trump should declare our trust in these institutions, a national emergency. We must be transparent.
This is why I said, I want Kash, and I want Dan Bongino, to show the American people what changed their minds. I would love a hearing on it!
And not some big drawn-out, you know, hearing in Congress with the budget. I just want to see. I want to see the files because internal distrust is a choice!
Because if you're saying today, I don't believe Dan Bongino and Kash Patel, which I'm stuck. Because I do believe them.
I just -- I think I don't have enough information to go with them on this.
I believe in them, but I also believe that Epstein killed himself.
Sorry, my throat is killing me.
STU: I mean, liked the fact that you crunched the ice, as you took the sip.
GLENN: I believe them. I just believe also that Epstein killed himself. That he didn't hang himself with a paper sheet.
Those two don't match. When something doesn't match.
You have to go back and say, which one do you actually think is right? I can't. Because I don't have enough information.
But I must do that.
Because trust and distrust, at this point, is a choice!
Now, let me show you where distrust leads.
If you don't trust Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino, then you can't trust the FBI and the DOJ.
And anything that they're doing there. That's pretty bad.
Because we just have the biggest reformer in, of all time.
A guy who said, he would reform those two institutions.
That he would be transparent. And he hired these two guys. And we all cheered for those two guys.
So if you don't trust them, if you just immediately go, something is wrong.
I don't trust them. Without saying, here. I don't trust, that that is true.
But I want to see what changed their mind.
Then your next step is: Well, does Donald Trump know?
And if he doesn't do something about them, on something this egregious, they're clearly covering something up.
Then I have a problem with Donald Trump. Where does this end?
This ends in -- this ends in guillotines in France.
This is what happens. You betrayed the revolution.
No! I didn't. That's just not true.
So the good news is, this is -- this is up to you.
These things can be reversed. They just haven't been. But they can be reversed. For instance, why would our currency collapse?
Because we're being downgraded. Why are we being downgraded.
Because we're spending too much. Why are we spending too much?
Because the people in Washington won't listen to the American people. They have no courage!
Back to stage six. Decline of courage.
That means, we need more people who have courage, that will say, this is the end of the republic, if we don't do certain things! So where will you stand today?
Will you dedicate yourself to not changing what you believe, per se, but at least demanding critical thinking answers for good, critical thinking questions. Pragmatism I don't believe you. Thus, I am asking you to produce and have a conversation with the American people, to show us what changed your mind.
Show us the facts.
We must restore trust!