CLAY: Buck, you know, I think it’s a really good omen. Our show is debuting on the anniversary of when the U.S. Constitution became the official framework of our government.
BUCK: June 21, 1788, Clay. That’s when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Rush spoke of the Constitution often, as we all know, with great admiration, with awe, with reverence. The show will continue to feature Rush’s wisdom as it relates to the present day, so we thought it appropriate to start with these words from Rush.
RUSH: The U.S. Constitution limits the role of government in everyday life.
The founders of this country realized that the natural tendency of human beings with power is tyranny. They knew it. They realized it. They built in checks and balances to assure that we didn’t have tyranny, and that, if we did, it was gonna take a long time to pull it off. They knew what human nature was. They had studied it from the beginning of time. And it is truthful to say that the natural tendency of people with political power is tyranny.
That is what is so miraculous about our country. We’ve been around 200-plus years, and we have had a piece of paper, essentially, the Constitution, that everybody has sworn allegiance and fealty to, amazingly. It would have been not difficult at all to rip it up at any time in the past 200 years. There have been people that tried. There have been people that wanted to. But in the end, we somehow — and I believe it’s because we are a nation blessed by God. We have survived where other people on this planet have not.
Something about the sheer, raw decency, goodness of power as defined and expressed in our Constitution has intimidated even the worst of bad actors into leaving it alone. Until now. Now we have arrived at the moment where the Constitution no longer frightens the people behind Joe Biden. The Constitution no longer threatens them. The Constitution no longer intimidates ’em. But you know why? Because they believe that a significant portion of the American people have no idea what the Constitution says.
They believe that a majority of the American people have no idea what the Constitution’s about. They believe a majority of Americans have no idea what the Bill of Rights is. If you don’t know what the Bill of Rights is, then how can you be upset over losing it? And, to a point, they are right. We do have… Because of so much ignorance in our education system, we have literally lost the education system and pop culture.
CLAY: It’s amazing to think about how we have entered into a world — those are Rush Limbaugh’s words — where so many of you listening to us right now feel terrified to say what you think about covid, or to say what you think about any subject in the world right now. I’ve always argued — and this is me putting my lawyer hat on, Buck — that the single most valuable asset we have as a society is our embrace of Western civilization.
What Rush is really talking about there, for anybody who studies history — and I know you’re a history nerd like I am, Buck — is our government represents the best approximation and analysis of all of Western civilization, the best things that we could pull from all of history to create the most — even while it’s imperfect — just form of government that has ever existed in the history of the free world.
“Maybe we should learn from all the Entitlement values, as we did to create the best form of union that we can…” “Oh, but wait a minute, those are a lot of white guys. We can’t listen to them anymore.” That’s kind of the world that we found ourselves in, and it scares me. We talked about this when we started the show.
I don’t only think — and this is one of the great things about being a father and a parent — your worldview expands from, “Hey, what’s going to happen during my life.” And one day, you’re gonna find this out, Buck. And immediately when that kid arrives you start thinking about, “Hey, long after I’m gone, what world are they going to inherit?”
And we’ve been talking to you for over two hours, and we’re gonna be talking to you hopefully for years. But that’s where my motivation to take on this challenge with this show with you, Buck, came from, thinking about. How do we pass on the values that have driven the success of this country to the next generation?
I know there’s a lot of people, a variety of different ages that are listening to us right now. You’re 39. I’m 42. God willing, we got a couple of generations ourselves where we can continue to influence things and continue the battles that Rush fought. But, man, I’m already thinking about what is coming for that next generation, for my 13-year-old, for my 10-year-old, for my 6-year-old?.
I’m not worried so much about my life. I’ve had a great life. But I am concerned when Western civilization itself is under siege and when the foundational documents of our country — which have allowed us to be the most successful country and the best beacon of freedom that’s ever existed in the world — is now under assault. That’s why I’m here, candidly. And I know that’s a big reason why you’re here, too.
BUCK: I think the recognition that everyone should have is that the left in this country and in the broader West and around the world in so many ways, is intentionally kicking at the load-bearing walls of Western civilization. They do this knowing what the eventual goal is. There are reasons why they are trying to undermine and attack the family, religious belief.
Whether it’s a question of your ability to practice freely, not just under covid, but in general. They try to eliminate separation of the genders. We’ve all seen this. They’ve tried to eliminate gender, essentially, as a concept, as a meaningful, organizational principle of our lives and how we interact with each other.
CLAY: It’s going on in the Olympics right now, Buck.
BUCK: They’re undermining fundamental freedoms that we thought we all held dear and had in common in this country, but doing so openly because, unfortunately — and I think the show, while we are going to be fighting for you, we are also going to be a reminder of what the left has accomplished so far and where they think they are in this whole process.
They feel ascendant. You could point to elections, and you can point to the back-and-forth of power. But, if you look at the culture, if you look at some of the foundational principles that holds our country together, that actually keeps us as one people, those are under assault from open borders.
I even have friends who say they have “a communist ethos without communist economics.” That’s essentially what we’re facing in so many ways from the Democrat Party today. This is a real challenge and a real fight, because, if you look over the last 20 years — put elections aside for a moment — you’re asking that question about your children and many other people listening to this show: “What does the future look like for their kids?”
CLAY: And grandkids.
BUCK: And grandkids. And it’s going to be, on a current trajectory, a very different place. I don’t think we should lapse into a fatalism about that. I think there should be an understanding that we can go back to founding principles. We can go back to true unity. I know that world has been turned into a laugh line by the Biden administration, which tried to unify for by five seconds after he was sworn in.
CLAY: (laughing)
BUCK: But that’s one of the things. We will both be serious, Clay, about the scale of the challenge — and, honestly, the threat — to our Americanness that we face. But also be happy warriors in this fight because we know the great news for us is that we have so many millions and millions of people across the country in this house that Rush built, so to speak, that know that they have to stand with us at the barricade. They know that they are in this together with all of us.
CLAY: You guys are the tip of the spear. Buck and I are gonna be out there in front of the line, but you guys are the tip of the spear. And what is encouraging to me… I think the “happy warrior” phrase is a good one I like to use too. What is encouraging to me is, Buck, we’re on the side that’s going to win. We are. I firmly believe that. I’m a huge optimist.
I think if you study American history, over time, rationality, logic, reasonableness wins. Right now, it’s not. And there have been periods throughout American history where irrationality, fear, fearmongering, unfortunately race-baiting, identity politics, cancel culture, all of that rolls together. And for a short period, it can look like that side is going to win.
But I think what ends up happening — and I can already see it rising up — is there is a strong reaction coming on the other side. In 2022, I think Republicans are gonna take back the House and probably the Senate, and with the right nominee in 2024 — which we’ve been talking about already — I think that Kamala Harris is gonna get her ass absolutely kicked.
We’re talking about a destruction — and I think what the Democrats have reaped here is they have convinced themselves that identity politics and cancel culture is their route to power. And I think in 2022 and in 2024 Western civilization’s gonna rise up. And all the reasonable, logic, rational people out there are gonna kick some serious ass. And guess what? We’re gonna be here with you enjoying that ass kicking.
BUCK: I remember that 2010 election. I remember in 2008-2009, everyone thought that it was going to be a fundamental transformation of America. Now, some of that may have been accomplished over the ensuing years. But there was quite a big pushback, and it led to a whole movement, and there might be another movement, Clay, to your point about the midterms.
And part of that, I think, is because of exactly what Rush said: The genius of the Constitution is that understanding of human nature. And even at that point, it does to me and to Clay right now — feel like freedom is not just under assault, but perhaps is beginning to die out.
CLAY: All of Western civilization, Buck!
BUCK: There are embers for the conflagration to come, that all we have to do is just breathe a bit more into the Constitution and those fundamental precepts of American life, and it can all come back, and that’s part of our goal here.
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