All Episodes
Previous Next
Aug. 1, 2023 - Dennis Prager Show
01:24:55
Rewriting History
| Copy link to current segment

Time Text
Dennis Prager here.
Thanks for listening to the Daily Dennis Prager Podcast.
To hear the entire three hours of my radio show, commercial-free, every single day, become a member of PragerTopia.
You'll also get access to 15 years' worth of archives, as well as the daily show prep.
Subscribe at PragerTopia.com Hi everybody, good to be with you.
August 1st.
We're well into the second half of 2023. I say the words, but they don't register.
So it is.
It's a lesson in life.
Very revealing piece in the New York Times.
The steep cost of Ron DeSantis' vaccine turnabout.
Hmm.
So the entire, it's a very long piece, front page, and it is about how it was a bad thing when Ron DeSantis opened up restaurants and other places whereas other states kept them closed.
They're very angry.
That Florida was a freer state than any of the Democrat-run states.
They're angry.
So the trick is to say, because they were wrong, they crushed small businesses while leaving big businesses richer than ever.
That is, all the Democrats succeeded in doing was to make the rich far, far richer and crush the middle class.
That is what they did in the pandemic and crushed children in schools.
They hate DeSantis as much as they hate Trump.
They hate Trump personally.
They hate DeSantis ideologically.
So this is a fascinating thing.
So I was thinking, wow, I've got to read this piece, even though it's a very long piece.
I have to read this piece.
Did you read that piece?
So, of course, there's...
As usual, there's a line that undoes the whole piece way, way into the piece that nobody will read.
It's fascinating.
I'll read it to you in a moment.
So there's a tremendous hatred of the totalitarian hates the freedom lover.
That is definitional.
The bad hate the good, and it is just, it's a given.
DeSantis did such good for his state.
I visited Florida when I could not enter a restaurant where I live in California.
And I watched people eat with no masks.
It was one of the most dramatic American moments of my life.
It was like visiting Austria when I used to go to communist countries of Eastern Europe.
And I would say, wow, this is freedom again.
Wow.
So they hate him.
And therefore, they smear him.
That's what the left does better than anybody and better than anything else it does.
Destroys the good, smears the good.
So the entire piece is about how poorly Florida performed because it opened up schools and because it opened up restaurants.
So now I will read to you from the middle of the piece.
It's precious, my friends.
It is just precious.
The name of the piece is The Steep Cost of Ron DeSantis' Vaccine Turnabout.
Once a vaccine advocate, the Florida governor lost his enthusiasm for the shot before the Delta wave sent COVID hospitalizations and deaths soaring.
This is the subtitle.
It's a grim chapter he now leaves out of his rosy retelling of his pandemic response.
All right.
And now I'm going to read to you one sentence from the middle.
All right.
Let's go.
Let's go around.
Here we go.
There it is.
I would say it's directly in the middle.
I don't know how many words are in the piece.
It's thousands of words.
Overall, the state's death rate during the pandemic, adjusted for age, ended up better than the national average.
The entire piece is about how he killed his citizens.
I'm not being cute.
What am I getting wrong?
Why does that not undo the point of the whole piece?
If the overall death rate was better than the national average, why did he do wrong?
So what do they attribute it to?
They're stuck at the New York Times.
They had to put in that line because otherwise the piece would be so dishonest.
That anybody who knew anything about Florida would say is just dishonest peace.
So here's the next sentence.
Some public health experts credit the state's robust health system and strong performance in the pandemic's first year or so.
Right?
Whatever it is, they can't acknowledge this might have been the correct thing to do.
So, let me read to you one more thing from the piece.
Florida was also one of only four states to require schools to hold in-person classes in the fall of 2020. Isn't that something?
Did you know only four states did that?
Wow.
A move that Mr. DeSantis has said defied the nation's public health experts.
In fact, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a federal infectious disease expert on former President Donald Trump's task force, I love the way they identify him.
All of a sudden, he's a Trump man.
Said repeatedly that that summer and fall that schools could open safely with the right precautions.
So, pardon me.
While I get a vomit bag, and I'll be right back.
Sean, play Beethoven's Ninth.
I will be truly displeased if you barf anywhere but in that can.
Okay, you will not be displeased.
It gets worse.
Nonetheless, facing strong opposition from teachers' unions, nearly three-fourths of the nation's 100 largest school districts offered only remote learning that fall.
See?
I'm cursed and blessed.
I read everything like it's Torah.
When I studied Bible, and this is the reason I'm writing a Bible commentary, and this year I finished the fourth of five volumes, God willing, toughest project of my life.
We were taught to read every word.
There was no such thing as skimming biblical text and talking about in the Hebrew.
So I continue to do that.
If I read, I read every word.
So I caught this.
So listen carefully to the way in which the New York Times lies.
Or shall we say, shows no commitment to truth, but bends it.
So let's parse this paragraph.
In the fall of 2020, Florida was one of only four states that kept its schools open.
So that is a great statement about Governor DeSantis.
Great.
He did not ruin his state's children like Governor Newsom did in California.
And brags about it.
So what can they do with that?
They can't possibly show DeSantis as heroic, and it was heroic.
The pressure not to open schools was intense.
So they say, well, big deal!
Fauci wanted the same thing.
Now I will read you the sentence about Fauci.
Fauci, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, said repeatedly, That summer and fall, that schools could open safely with the right precautions.
Do you understand the lie?
The non sequitur?
So he wasn't for opening.
He was for opening with the right precautions!
And what the hell are those?
Those little words, could, not should, could, and only with the right precautions.
questions.
So, New York Times, did DeSantis take the right precautions?
Whatever the hell they are?
So, such dishonesty.
But then they're honest.
Nonetheless, so why didn't he?
Even the next sentence is a non sequitur.
About the teachers unions.
I'll be back.
Gold dealers are a dime a dozen.
They're everywhere.
What sets these companies apart and whom can you really trust?
This is Dennis Prager for AmFedCoin and Bullion.
My choice for buying precious metals.
When you buy precious metals, it's imperative that you buy from a trustworthy and transparent dealer that protects your best interests.
So many companies use gimmicks to take advantage of inexperienced gold and silver buyers.
Be cautious of brokers offering free gold and silver or brokers that want to sell you overpriced collectible coins.
They appreciate more than gold and silver.
What about hidden commissions and huge markups?
Nick Grovich and his team at AmFed always have your back.
I trust this man.
That's why I mention him by name.
Nick's been in this industry over 42 years, and he's proud of providing transparency and fair pricing to build trusted relationships.
If you're interested in buying or selling, call Nick Grovich and his team at AmFed, Coin& Bullion, 800-221-7694, AmericanFederal.com, AmericanFederal.
I'm Dennis.
Big, big piece of the New York Times about DeSantis' ruining of Florida by opening up the states so early.
One of only four states to open its schools.
And then they give the most deceptive writing possible.
After all, why is that a big deal?
Fauci said schools could open with the right precautions.
Okay, didn't say they should open.
Number two, more important, with the right precautions.
They don't spell them out.
Do you remember Fauci urging schools to open up?
Did Fauci say, how's this, New York Times?
Did Fauci say DeSantis was right?
Why didn't he just say that?
If Fauci is indistinguishable in enthusiasm for opening schools, indistinguishable from DeSantis, why don't they have a quote?
And Fauci praised Governor DeSantis for opening Florida schools.
Because he didn't!
And it gets worse, the New York Times reporters.
The next sentence is another non-sequitur.
Nonetheless, facing strong opposition from teachers' unions, nearly three-fourths of the nation's 100 largest school districts offered only remote learning that fall.
What does that have to do with Fauci?
So Fauci wanted it, but Fauci fought the school, the teachers' unions?
Does anybody recall that?
Did Fauci say one word?
You know, the teachers' unions are screwing America's kids?
Damn the teachers' unions.
They're despicable organizations for what they're doing to kids.
Of course, I said that.
Did he even say, I differ with the teachers' unions?
They are great, wonderful left-wing organizations, and I share their values, but they're wrong about closing schools.
No, he didn't.
The peace is a fraud.
I'd like to know what four states they were.
I really do.
We need to publicly claim those governors.
I don't know which four states they were.
It would be interesting to note, and Sweden.
Sweden never closed its schools.
Never.
Students from 16, the age of 16 and under, didn't miss a day of class.
So when the left lies about follow the science, the left that says there's more than two genders says follow the science.
Hmm, marvelous.
So when they say that, what science do you follow?
Scientists in Sweden said, open up the society.
Open up the schools.
Scientists everywhere else said, no, do you take a vote?
Is that how science is determined?
By the popular left-wing word, consensus.
It is the consensus of experts.
Really, that's how we do it?
Truth is determined by a vote.
Well, look, these are the people that believed.
Like at the Oregon Education Department, that the idea that two and two has one right answer is white supremacy.
I bet your left-wing and liberal brothers-in-law do not know that.
I bet you that was never reported in the Washington Post or New York Times.
They hate him for opening up the schools.
So what do they do with it?
They can't deny that.
So they say, oh, Fauci wanted it too.
That's the way they do it.
By the way, the National Education Association denies that it was for closing schools.
And the New York Times writes here, strong opposition from teachers' unions.
Three-fourths of the nation's major school districts, hundred school districts, deprived children of intact education.
So the harm it did to children is substantial.
However, there is a silver lining.
It opened up a lot of parents' eyes and ears to what was being taught.
By having to go online, parents would see what teachers were saying.
The loathsome ideas, rather than teaching, that they transmitted to their students.
The state of Florida, as a statement of full disclosure, the state of Florida has just announced that it will allow PragerU children's materials the state of Florida has just announced that it will allow PragerU children's You don't have to use it.
But teachers are allowed to use it in Florida.
The staggering amount of attacks on that decision and on PragerU and on me, I mean, it is quite remarkable.
I read to you a long one from the Miami Herald.
What they do is they all get snippets from left-wing groups.
And then they play them and say, you see how bad PragerU is?
Except half, not half, nine-tenths of the time, the snippets show us as quite honorable.
Tomorrow is my birthday, and so August is fundraising month for PragerU.
If you want to fight and you see the progress PragerU is making...
Billions, billions of views.
And now, getting our wonderful material into schools, it's all free.
We need to raise money.
Please take this time during the break to make a donation to PragerU.com Thank you.
We're fighting the good fight.
We need your help.
On MyPillow's 20-year anniversary with over 80 million MyPillows sold, Mike Lindell at MyPillow wants to thank each and every one of you by giving you the lowest price in history on their MyPillows.
You'll receive a queen-size MyPillow for $19.98 regular price.
It's $69.98 and just $10 more for a king size.
You'll receive deep discounts on all MyPillow products, such as bed sheets, mattress toppers, pet beds, mattresses, MySlippers, and so much more.
This is the time to try out some of their other amazing products you had your eyes on.
Go to MyPillow.com and click on the radio slash podcast square and use promo code Prager to receive this amazing offer on the queen-size MyPillow for 1998 or call 800-761-6302.
This offer comes with a 10-year warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee.
It's time to start getting the quality sleep you deserve.
So go to MyPillow.com and use the promo code Prager or call 800-761-6302 today.
You gotta give me a little lovin', give me a little lovin', ow!
If you want our love to laugh.
Well, I used to walk you home, baby, after school.
Okay, everybody.
Glenn, it is fundraising month, which is August, because it's my birthday, in this case tomorrow.
That's why we chose August.
Why not?
And...
Almost every day, I feature a young person who is a member of PragerU, what we call PragerForce.
And I would say that nothing I do in the course of the year gives people more hope than my interviews, my dialogues with these young people.
In this case, Tori Kimball.
She's a member of PragerForce.
She's been for eight years, since middle school.
When she watched the PragerU video while writing her English final on why capitalism is moral, they hate us for that.
The idea that we would actually have a video on the morality of capitalism.
And you know why they don't like capitalism?
You know why they don't like a video on the morality of capitalism?
Because students may find out the following truth.
Only capitalism lifts people from poverty.
The reason there is less poverty by far on earth today is only because of capitalism.
Everything the left believes is wrong, is morally wrong, factually wrong.
It is a sick, bad world.
They don't care about the poor.
They care about the poor like Lenin cared about workers.
So they hate us for telling the truth that capitalism is moral.
Because of PragerU, she found TPUSA, where she's worked for the past five years.
TPUSA and PragerU are allies, trying to save this country with its youth.
She hosted Will Witt twice, Amalepunobi as speakers on her school campuses.
When she came back from her 18-month mission in Chicago, she used PragerU videos to catch up on everything she missed.
And she's now studying public relations and civic engagement leadership at Brigham Young University.
Tori, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Are you in Utah right now?
I'm not.
I'm actually interning in Washington, D.C. right now.
Oh, my God.
You are a hero.
How old are you?
I'm 21. And is this graduate work or undergraduate work you're doing?
This is undergraduate work.
And what does it mean that 18 months you were out of commission?
What happened during those 18 months?
Yeah, so I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we have an amazing missionary program, which we...
Sign up for girls, it's 18 months.
For the guys, it's two years.
And we leave school, work, all of it, politics, to go somewhere that we're assigned to, speak a language that we're assigned, and we help people learn more about Jesus Christ.
We help in the community.
And it was the best 18 months for me in Chicago.
You know, when I speak to Mormons, if I may say the word, I interchange it with LDS because a lot of people know the word Mormon much better.
I know the whole issue in your church.
I know it really well.
But anyway, when I speak to them, and I will often say, so even people in middle age, people in their 50s, and I'll say, so did you go on mission?
I go, yeah.
And then I'll go, where?
And when they tell me a place like Chicago, I go, it probably would have been easier in Uruguay.
That's probably true.
Any major metropolitan U.S. city has to be such a challenge.
I am always curious, did you make any converts?
Yes, I had a good amount.
The Lord was good to me, and I found some really awesome friends who decided to change their lives.
Fascinating.
All right, we'll be back in a moment.
We'll obviously talk about you and PragerU.
It's a delight to meet you.
Folks, please.
We're doing really, really important work.
And remember, to supply the fighters is as important as fighting.
Please go to PragerU.com and make a donation.
Thank you.
And I am speaking to Tori Kimball, a 21-year-old young woman who is a member of Prager Force.
And if you can see her on video, you'll see the wide-eyed enthusiasm of this young woman.
So, how did you discover PragerU?
You were in middle school, obviously.
How did that happen?
I had an amazing 8th grade English teacher who had us write an argumentative essay for our final paper, and she said we could write whatever we wanted.
I'm not really sure, but I wanted to write my paper on capitalism, and so I went to the internet, as a little middle schooler does, and tries to find videos, because that's the best way to research, right?
And I came across Arthur Brooks' video on why capitalism is moral, and I absolutely loved it, and I loved the idea that it was five minutes, and I kind of found myself in a rabbit hole, and I just kept watching PragerU videos, and ever since then, I've been hooked.
In middle school and 8th grade.
I wonder, if one googled exactly what you googled then, if one googled that today, do you know, would the PragerU video come up?
Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't.
Let me ask Alan Estrin, do you think it would come up?
Do you remember, I don't think you would, but basically, what did you google?
Is capitalism moral?
What did you google?
I probably Googled, why is capitalism a good thing?
So let's do that test.
I am curious if we're buried on a Google search or not.
So you discovered us, and then you kept watching PragerU videos.
I did.
Did you ever think you'd be on with me?
No, I did never think that.
It must have to be a very funny journey from your Prager video to Prager.
Yes, for sure.
Well, this is a joy for me.
So, you then joined TPUSA, is that correct?
I did.
Charlie Kirk and I are quite close.
And now you are at BYU. I'm going to ask you a tough question here.
Okay.
And it's pure curiosity.
There is no agenda except hope.
Is there any danger of at least parts of BYU going woke or is it pretty immune?
I think it's definitely a problem.
It's what we see across the country when people tend to walk away from values that we've had for so long.
I'm lucky to go to BYU where values are very upfront.
But when people walk away from their values, and that includes administrators or professors, then there's always a chance of going woke.
And we're seeing it at BYU not as much as we see on other campuses, but it's definitely still a problem.
Yeah, look, your answer doesn't surprise me, which is why I asked the question.
I mean, I remember speaking at Christian seminaries.
I won't say the names.
It's not important right now.
That were so traditional.
In their Judeo-Christian values, in their Christian values, and now they're almost indistinguishable from any university in terms of wokeness.
It's very hard to resist what society says.
When society says X is Y, people start saying X is Y. I have no doubt.
Do you plan on getting married?
Yes, for sure.
And so in LDS, in the Mormon Church, what is the average age of marriage today?
Would you say 25?
It's about there.
I know it's risen in the past few years, but it's definitely younger than most.
And how long will you be at BYU now getting your degree?
I have about three semesters left.
And what degree will that be?
That will be in public relations with a minor in civic engagement leadership.
What do you hope to do?
If I could have my dream job, it would be honestly doing something along these lines in helping young Americans learn how to love their country and helping do messaging that accomplishes that.
If that doesn't work out, I want to help people who are campaigning to run good campaigns that actively promote messages that help people love America.
I am curious, by the way, do you know that Governor DeSantis in the state of Florida has now allowed schools to use PragerU materials?
I do know that.
How do you know that?
I'm very curious.
Because I follow PragerU on social media, but also I still follow Will Witt, and he wrote about it in the Florida Standard.
Yeah, we're very close to Will.
I wrote the forward to his book that's coming out.
It's a lot of good people, and you're one of them.
So I'm going to put you, I'm going to ask you two questions, and both put you somewhat on the spot.
One more than the other.
But I'm curious, and if there's no answer, there's no answer.
Do you have a favorite PragerU video?
It's really hard to pick one.
I would probably say I'm more partial to my original video, Why Capitalism is Moral by Arthur Brooks.
But I also recently loved Tim Poole's on, like, working hard and continuing work.
Yeah, his graduation address.
It was probably better than any graduation address given in the country.
Yes, probably.
Yes, I agree.
Well, and the other one is, take 30 seconds.
And from your perspective, why people should donate to PragerU?
I think people should donate to PragerU because there really is no other organization that is helping young people to not only just have an opinion, there's lots of news media outlets that are going to help you and try to tell you what you should believe, but PragerU actively helps students know the why behind opinions.
And allows for different nuances.
It also helps to just educate kids, which we're not seeing a lot of education even in our education system.
They're fighting against censorship.
They're fighting to get better curriculum in schools.
And having had PragerU in most of my academic career, I know what a big blessing it's been.
And so you need to donate in order to keep it going.
I'm very optimistic for your future.
Thank you.
Tori, thanks for coming on.
Thank you for having me.
Pleasure indeed.
Okay.
Oh, they always say it better than I do.
That's why I ask them.
And they don't even know I'm going to ask them.
PragerU.com.
Thank you.
back in a moment oh I left a little early I said back in a moment.
Here I am.
The moment was fast.
These young people, I'm telling you, we have a country to save.
Howdy!
Ah, you've got the body.
Not the hello every.
I'm so anxious to start talking that I talked before the mic was put on.
I'm Dennis Prager.
It's August 1st.
August 1st?
Every year I ask this question and I never remember the answer I get.
I don't know why.
What does dog days of summer mean?
Do you know?
Does anybody here know?
Is that the most widely used phrase that nobody understands?
Well, there's it I wish you could see my producer's face You would see why he's the martyr.
He is undergoing martyrdom right now.
It's a painful...
Because you somewhat know.
I know your face.
But you're not...
It's not coming out.
Is that fair or summary?
Well, it's kind of like a common sense thing.
A dog day is like a...
A dog day is...
It means a day which is very difficult.
A day which is very difficult?
I have dogs.
I assure you, a dog day in the Prager house is heaven.
Just for the record.
Yeah, what is the origin?
The period following...
Okay, that's not...
So Alan was...
What is it?
Just a bit outside?
It has to do...
Wait, one of the constellations is a dog?
Sirius is a dog?
The dog star?
Okay, I'm really unhappy I asked, I admit.
I beg my audience's indulgence.
Forgive us.
Anyway, here we are in August.
Last hour, I'm not going to repeat it.
This is why you should get Prager Topia to hear all three hours.
I spoke about how the New York Times tried to smear Governor DeSantis' opening up of Florida when almost every other state was closed during COVID. And the way they distorted, subtly distorted, the reality.
Of the time.
It was a powerful take.
Prager Topia, you get all my hours without commercials as well, by the way.
Then I went to this story.
There is a man in California who is losing the custody of his child because he doesn't believe his boy should become a girl.
A, because such a thing doesn't happen.
You cannot become the other sex.
You can look like it.
You can think you are.
But you can't become one.
Okay.
And to give life-changing hormones to 10-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 11-year-olds, that's child abuse.
And the left is in favor of that form of child abuse.
The right is opposed to it.
And so sick, despicable states like the one I live in, California, have said any child who comes to California will get whatever hormones he or she or they want.
Not only that, you will lose custody of your child because we believe that any parent who does not support their child's desire to be the other sex is a child abuser.
And so we cannot award custody to such a parent.
By the way, you can even lose your child.
Let us say you are in Florida.
And you have a 10-year-old son who says he's a girl.
And Florida will not give those treatments to try to make your son a girl.
And you are opposed to it.
Your child runs away to Minnesota or California.
They will do that.
And you can lose your child because they will protect your child against you.
I don't know what happens if both parents, let's say it's not a custody battle, both parents say, no honey, you are in fact a boy.
You are in fact a girl.
And we're not going to support you this.
You don't know what you're doing at 10. And the child runs away.
Will California send a 10-year-old back to parents who oppose their child's desire for hormone blockers?
I don't know the answer.
But anyway, this man has lost his child, hasn't spoken to his son, says he's a girl for three years.
So in this long piece, Abigail Schreier wrote about this.
In City Journal, and I'm reading about it.
Just published in Christian Post.
So the father was...
The judge gave an attorney for the child.
It's almost...
Not almost.
It is Kafkaesque.
What happens?
Number one, the judge...
Is the mother of a trans child.
So you can only imagine how objective the judge was.
Number two, the judge did something truly, truly despicable.
I'll give you the judge's name when I think you should know it.
The judge assigned an attorney a man who now goes by she.
You hear that?
Is that unbelievable?
A grown man, he's decided he's a woman.
And that's the attorney for the child.
You can imagine how the father's case was made on behalf of the child.
The surgery to insult the hormone-blocking implant occurred months before Hudako realized it had happened when Drew was 17, violating the court order.
Its contribution to the child's eventual sterilization might also violate California Family Code section 6925B1, which does not authorize a minor child to be sterilized without the consent of the child's which does not authorize a minor child to be sterilized without the consent Anyway, so...
Among Hudiko's main grievances to the California bar is that he alleges, Harkins, that I believe is the lawyer, violated Rule 4.1 in the California Rules of Procedure for Attorneys.
That rule states that when representing a client, a lawyer, quote, shall not knowingly make a false statement of material fact or law to a third person.
Haruko believes Harkins allegedly did this by advising Drew, that is the son, and his ex-wife to pursue going ahead with the medication, despite the violation of the court order.
Anyway, let me get you the judge's name.
These people should be known.
let's see here yes Superior Court Judge Joni Hiramoto.
In 2020, stripped Hudako of shared custody of Drew.
It was detailed in a 4,800-word investigative piece published in City Journal in February 2022 by Abigail Schreier.
She's the author of Irreversible Damage.
She's done a PragerU video, correct?
A couple of PragerU videos.
Hiromoto happens to be the mother of a trans-identified child.
And then she appointed a trans lawyer, who at the time was he and now she, Daniel Severin Harkins.
The minor child's counsel who Hudako says undermined him at every turn.
As Schreier put it, that was the final nail in the coffin of his parental rights.
I will conclude this nightmare with the line that I began with.
A line from Scott Wilk.
He's a California state senator.
And he said, In the past, when we've had these discussions, and I've seen parental rights atrophied, I've encouraged people to keep fighting.
Wilkes said on June 13th, adding that he has since changed his mind on that approach.
If you love your child, you need to flee California.
I preface the following with the note that to vote Democrat is to vote to crush liberty, prosperity, and everything good about America.
Everything good about America.
Nice, sweet people, committed parents, friends, workers, vote Democrat.
Nice people can do a lot of damage.
In the Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration's assault on free speech.
Emails paint a picture of a White House.
Running roughshod over First Amendment protections.
And the article is written by, what is Hamburger's first name?
Philip Hamburger, who teaches at Columbia.
He's the CEO of the New Civil Liberties Alliance, which represents plaintiffs in a case that I will read to you about.
And it's co-authored by one of the attorneys.
Jen and Eunice.
By the way, Philip Hamburger, a major constitutional scholar at Columbia University Law School, gives a number of courses at PragerU.
You never read about that when the left attacks PragerU.
How many distinguished professors and others have given courses?
The five-minute course?
You never hear that.
All you read is that Ben Shapiro, And Jordan Peterson and Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, of course, that's right, that they have given courses.
You don't hear about the Philip Hamburgers who have given courses at Prager Hill.
Among the revelations of the so-called Twitter files, The White House has denied this, insisting that companies like Meta and Twitter adopted content moderation policies on their own.
Because truth is not a left-wing value, so they deny this.
But internal documents newly released by the House Judiciary Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government prove that government pressure led Meta to go beyond what it otherwise would have in censoring user speech.
Court-ordered discovery in Missouri v.
Biden has already revealed that the White House strong-armed platforms into more censorship than they consider justified, than they consider justified, prompting the judge to declare that the administration had made, quote, are you ready?
Arguably the most massive attack against free speech in United States history.
Wow.
I'd like to salute that judge in this case.
Can we get at the name?
In Missouri versus Biden?
Yeah, that's the Dowdy, Judge Dowdy.
Oh, that was Judge Dowdy?
Yeah.
I said he was a hero at the time.
Arguably the most massive attack against free speech in U.S. history.
Biden is the only man who was president that I ever called a bad human being.
He's a bad human being.
I'm not a fan of a lot of presidents, but I never called any of them bad human beings.
Thank you.
The new documents go further, showing that the administration drove much of Meta's censorship.
In April 2021, Facebook, now Meta, Executive Nick Clegg, meta, thank you, wrote to the company's leaders, Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, quote,
we are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the White House and the press, to remove, and he italicized the word remove, more COVID-19 vaccine discouraging content.
Yep, the White House told big tech to censor speech.
Did Donald Trump do anything nearly as damaging to the country?
Damaging to the country.
Not remarks he made in private about women.
Tell me, oh, you will say, I know what you'll say.
He said that, yes, the equivalent is he said he didn't lose.
It was a stolen election.
Okay.
Prior to that time, the nearly four years he was president, did he do anything as damaging as this?
And I don't think there's a comparison.
He can say...
The election was stolen until the cows come home.
What difference does it make?
You'll say, well, people believe it, and they had an insurrection.
So if you believe January 6th was an insurrection, there's nothing I can say.
The first unarmed insurrection in modern history.
Anyway, there is nothing, there is no freedom.
None.
That compares to freedom of speech.
And there's no example in history of the left allowing it.
Liberals allow it.
Conservatives allow it.
The left never allows it. The left never allows it.
We didn't teach the big issues, good and evil.
Right and wrong, the meaning of life, men and women, nothing.
People are just foolish as a result, and it's a catastrophe.
So I started the Ultimate Issues Hour, I don't know, about 15 years ago.
And it was a risk because it doesn't necessarily deal with anything in the news.
People think of talk radio as commentary on the news.
But I am interested in much more than the news.
It was a gamble that paid off.
I've been broadcasting for 40 years.
That's eerie.
That is bloody eerie.
So my friends, tomorrow is my birthday and the only reason I mention it.
Is that it's a big birthday in terms of numbers.
So I wrote my column, which comes out Tuesdays, convenient for the Ultimate Issues Hour, on my birthday.
So yes, I deal with the issue of death in the article, because death does qualify as an ultimate issue.
I think that's fair.
Fair to say.
Birth, death.
Marriage, kids.
Those are war, peace.
Those are big issues.
So here is my column.
You can see it at DennisPrager.com or at Town Hall.
Later in the week it goes to the Daily Wire, American Greatness, American Greatness, the Jewish Press, and so many other places.
But right now you can see it at Town Hall or at DennisPrager.com.
Tomorrow, August 2nd, 2023. I will be 75 years old.
Some thoughts on this milestone.
First, I feel no different, emotionally or physically, than I did 50 years ago.
I was lecturing, traveling and writing then, and I'm lecturing, traveling and writing today.
I started my public life at age 21, speaking around America after spending a month in the Soviet Union.
And wrote my first book at the age of 25. If anything, I do considerably more today than I did 50 years ago.
This has led to an interesting problem.
Precisely because I have the same energy and the same enthusiasm for life as I had 50 years ago, there is a huge chasm between my chronological age and my self-perception age.
Perhaps the best way to explain this is by asking anyone under, let's say, 40 years of age to imagine that someone told them that they are not 35 years old but actually 75 years old.
That is how I feel.
I know my chronological age but nothing has changed in me that makes me believe it.
So then, while how I feel and my energy levels are a blessing, Like many blessings, they come at a price.
Massive cognitive dissonance.
Second, I walk around on a gratitude high.
That I am so healthy and happy that people in different parts of the world still invite me to speak.
That my wife, children, grandchildren, and friends are all healthy and still love me.
These all produce in me immeasurable and constant gratitude.
I know very well how lucky I am.
Many people my age are ill.
Many never got to this age.
Many have lost a child or a spouse.
Many are alienated from one or more of their children.
And many are lonely.
It is common for people who inordinately suffer to ask, why me?
Well, I too constantly ask, why me?
Why have I been inordinately lucky?
Third, the one change in my life is that I often think about death.
When you are young, you intellectually know that you will one day die.
But you don't really believe it.
So you don't think about death unless someone close to you dies, and then, after some time has passed, you revert to not thinking about death.
But after a certain age, you can't help but think about it.
You start to peruse obituaries.
My thoughts about death are not morbid, and they contain no fear.
I don't know what there is to fear.
There are three possible fates after we die.
One is that there is nothing, and we return to the unconscious state we were.
We were in before we were born.
Why fear that?
It's not unpleasant.
A second is a pleasant afterlife.
The third is an unpleasant afterlife.
Hell, if you will.
I have always rationally believed in an afterlife.
I say rationally because it is not theology that leads me to believe in an afterlife.
It is reason alone.
I believe in God, also for rational reasons, and it is axiomatic that if there is a just God, there is an afterlife.
Of the three propositions, there is a God, God is just, and there is an afterlife, only the second demands faith.
That God exists is a rational proposition, far more rational than the atheist position that everything came about on its own.
That if God is just, there is an afterlife is also a rational proposition.
Given how much injustice there is in this world, a just, not to mention loving God, must provide a way for all this to be worked out after we die.
But I acknowledge that the belief that this God who created the world is just and loving is somewhat a leap of faith.
Given the amount of unjust suffering, There has always been in this world, I can understand someone arguing that the Creator is not loving.
I can understand it, but I don't believe it.
A God who created creatures who can love is probably a loving God.
Otherwise, human beings are far superior to their Creator, a possibility that is not probable.
So I have no fear of death, but I am sad about it.
I am sad for me.
I really, really love life.
And always have.
But I am mostly sad for all those who love me.
Finally, I have reason, though of course no certainty, to believe that I will be here for a while.
I am healthy.
My parents died at 89 and 96, and my one sibling is 80 and healthy.
In addition, I have everything that contributes to health and longevity.
Profound friendships, a wonderful marriage, a loving family life, wonderful children and grandchildren, a communal life, and a vibrant religious life.
And dogs.
Last year, the oldest World War II veteran, Lawrence Nathaniel, Honey Brooks died at age 112. When asked the secret to his longevity, he answered, God and cigars.
If he was right, I should be around for a while.
And that's my column.
It's a good one.
Only you would write a column about turning 75 and then make it about God and suffering.
That is an interesting point.
I have never thought about anything and not asked, what does it mean?
What is the big picture?
And that's Julie Hartman, of course.
We do the Dennis and Julie podcast.
And periodically I have a visit during the third hour.
If you have a reaction to my column, 1-8 Prager 776, you can see the column and send it around.
It's all free, obviously, at dennisprager.com or at townhall.com.
But you're right.
The big questions have always preoccupied me.
The biggest realization of the last 20 years of my life is this issue of we all have a nature.
I don't know what I can take credit for.
I'm going to talk about that.
1-8 Prager 776 is the number.
Tomorrow's my birthday.
Big one.
And I decided to write my column on it, reflecting on life and on death.
I'll emphasize a few points and then take your calls, 1-8 Prager 776. It is interesting to me.
I had relatives who, when they got older, confided in me that they feared dying.
So I thought, well, maybe when I'm their age, and I'm still not their age, but maybe when I'm their age and...
They were getting weaker and weaker, and it was clear they were not here for long.
Maybe I'll fear death too when I'm at death's door.
But I don't think so, because I'm very, very rational, which is a big gift, a real gift from God.
And I don't understand what there is to fear.
Either there's nothing.
Before you were born, did it bother you?
You go back to the state of pre-birth.
It wasn't bad.
It was nothing.
So I don't know what there is to fear.
Unless you think you're going to hell.
In which case, mend your ways.
Hold on.
Her thing isn't on.
May I ask a question about your column before the callers?
Yeah.
You said at the beginning that you don't feel...
Your chronological age.
Right.
And you have this line that says that, like many blessings, they come at a price.
Massive cognitive dissonance.
That's right.
Is that a price you pay?
Oh, it is a price.
I'll tell you, it's a, see, this is why I have her on.
I'm not kidding.
That was a terrific question.
She doesn't believe me.
She thinks all my compliments are because I'm a sweet guy.
Okay, fine.
That's a very, very important question.
I left that unanswered.
Why is that a price?
So I'll tell you why it's a price.
Maybe I'm wrong, but this is why I think it's a price.
People who get older and they gradually feel their age are probably more prepared to die.
Than people who still think they're 25. That's why.
So you think that you fear death?
No, I don't fear it at all.
No, I'm just not as prepared.
Oh no, my whole point was that I don't fear it.
I don't understand what there is to fear.
That was my rational point.
But I think as you weaken, you sort of more make...
My dad...
After his partner of 73 years, my mother died.
He basically died with her.
He was not prepared to die when they were both 89, when he was 90 and she was 89 and she died.
But after she died, he was prepared to die.
So the fear issue is not operative here.
Is my answer clear to you?
Yes, I don't understand though why it's a price.
If you don't have fear of dying, but you say that you're not as prepared to die, what's the cost?
Or the price that you pay?
That when it happens, it's sort of a shockeroo.
I guess that's the most honest way to put it.
If you're...
It's like, let us say...
I don't know.
You're going to get your teeth drilled on, which is worse than death.
You're going to get your teeth drilled.
A guy who has been working up with a gradual toothache is more prepared than the person who suddenly has to get his teeth drilled.
That's all.
It's emotional preparation.
For what takes place.
So maybe it's not a price.
Your question may be completely valid.
Maybe there is no price to my cognitive dissonance.
I can't believe my age.
You know, Astrid, who, and those who don't know Astrid, she was on this show.
She's a Danish woman who Dennis met when he was traveling abroad, and she's become a dear friend.
Both of us.
We were talking about fear of death, and I said to her, it must be one of the worst things to be old in age and know that you're perhaps on death's doorstep.
That must be frightening.
And she had a really insightful comment, which is along the lines of what you were saying a few moments ago, that...
In a way, it might be a blessing that your constitution changes.
Yes, that's what I'm saying.
Your body changes.
This is my point.
It makes it easier to go.
That's right.
It does.
That's exactly right.
So, my body's the same.
Everything is the same.
I walk slower.
I will admit that.
But it's not exactly a big deal.
I don't play tennis like I used to.
I don't play tennis at all.
I used to play it a lot.
And racquetball.
But big deal.
It doesn't mean...
It's meaningless.
It's a non-price.
I travel all over the world more than I travel to 25, as you know.
And so she's right.
It's like life sort of prepares you and you ease your way in.
But I'm not easing my way in anywhere because my brain is that...
I don't know any difference between now and 25, which may seem odd.
I don't know how odd it seems to you, which is why I'm happy you're on, among many other reasons, because you're 23. But you know me pretty well, so do you believe that my inner being is about your age?
Yes.
I do.
I mean, people associate youth with immaturity.
When you're asking that question, I know what you're referring to, and that's vitality.
Yes.
And you are absolutely my age and vitality.
You said something to me on Dennis and Julie.
I have to repeat it.
You said, I used to be told at age 21 that I was really good for my age, and now I'm told at age 75 I'm really good for my age.
That's exactly right.
I have the same exact compliment.
But see, I feel your age...
He's really something for his age.
Hold on one second.
back in a moment.
I would like to remind you about Rough Greens if If you have a doggy...
Doggy!
Or even two.
Well, we have three.
I can't believe it.
I think of my home as a kennel.
And two tortoises, a squirrel, and a cat.
The squirrel is my stepsons.
Please.
The two tortoises, the cat, and the three dogs is sufficient.
I live in a sort of zoo.
But they're all lovable.
Well, I can't say that for one of them.
We have a rescue dog who is the only dog I ever knew that does not want to be petted.
Anyway, enough of my situation.
I'll tell you this.
My wife, who knows dogs well, We give them Rough Greens, R-U-F-F. We have been impressed with the doctor, Dennis Black, who came up with it.
He's a naturopathic.
And it is packed with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, omega oils, antioxidants.
Dr. Black is so convinced it will help your dog, he's offering a free Jumpstart trial bag.
You just cover the shipping.
Go to roughgreens.com slash Prager.
R-U-F-F Greens.
Is it pet or petted?
Oh my God.
Did you hear what he asked me?
Is it pet or petted?
I said this dog doesn't want to be petted.
What did I say?
The dog doesn't want to be pet?
You don't think petted is a word?
Well, one of us is going to the punishment room.
So I don't know whose faith is sealed right now.
It's petted.
Alright, you go to the punishment room.
There he is.
You know, parents often say that hurt me more than it hurt you.
That is not true in this case.
It did not hurt me at all.
Just for the record.
I'm in a frisky mood today.
All right, everybody.
Let me go to your call.
Oh, wait a minute.
There is something.
There was a point that I wanted to make about my column about life, death, and people getting older like me.
But I'll think about it.
There was a point I realized you can't put everything in a column.
Columns are great because they force you to be concise, but sometimes you're more concise than you want to be.
All right, let me go to your calls.
I'm sure it'll come to my mind.
Let's see here.
So, let's see.
Okay.
Culver City, California.
Carl, hello.
Hi, Dennis.
I just want to wish you a happy day, but, you know...
Your comments struck me as kind of, reminded me of the Emily Pipson poem, I could not stop for death until he kindly stopped for me.
I mean, I don't think anybody that's old, I mean, unless you're frail, nobody wants to die.
But, I mean, realistically, you're in your 70s, you're overweight, you have health problems, of course you're going to die sometime, and probably in the next 10 years, statistically.
So, I mean, I think you're using denial.
Wait, how do you know I'm not in good health?
Well, you're always out for a health problem.
I'm never out for a health problem.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I never left here for a health problem that I recall.
You've had back problems, hip problems.
Oh, that's not a health problem.
A hip replacement is not a health problem.
Of course it is.
It's a curation of your body.
Oh, okay.
All right.
Okay, so if you consider a hip problem to be something that hastens death, you're allowed your opinion.
Okay.
I don't think what you said made sense, but what are we going to do?
Okay, Dallas, Texas, and Al, hello.
Dennis, I was wondering if I could ask you a brief question before I go to the answer.
No, no, because you've got to talk to me about what you told the screener.
I'm sorry.
Okay, okay.
I think what people fear the most is...
Not death in itself, but dying a painful death.
Yes, that makes perfect sense.
Because sometimes people burn to death.
Yeah, that's a charming thought, yes.
I took a risk taking this subject.
Seems like you did.
All right, it's okay.
This is part of life.
I don't like ignoring.
It's like on the sexuality issues.
People don't like to talk about what's uncomfortable.
And they lose out as a result because they don't have clear thinking.
But he's right.
That's a rational fear.
A painful death is a completely rational fear.
That is correct.
By the way, just for the record, you can die at any age, and people do.
And again, another by the way, I knew that when I was a kid.
I wrote about the afterlife in an essay in high school.
I put two and two together in high school.
I said, if God is just, there's an afterlife.
And why was I even preoccupied?
A, because I was preoccupied with human suffering, as I am to this day.
I hate evil, and I hate evil people.
And I want them punished and I want their victims rewarded.
And B, it didn't make sense that there would be a good God, all this unjust suffering, and no afterlife.
And to this day, it doesn't make sense.
That was what I wrote about in there.
You know, you, Julie, you who have a commitment to truth, which is rare.
I mean, you...
You believe it leads to goodness, and so does truly rational thought with a pursuit of truth.
back in a moment.
By the way, August is fundraising month because my birthday is in August.
It is tomorrow.
I read to you my column.
If you want to read the column, go to dennisprager.com or townhall.com and read the column and send it along.
Reflecting on death, on age, and a whole host of things.
I now, thanks to Sean, remember the point that I didn't make in my column.
And if I were to redo it, I think I would add it.
I'll tell you what is a very, very big deal in giving me peace as I get older.
And that is, I look back at a full life.
And this too I knew.
At Julie's age.
Every young person should ask this question.
When I'm old, how do I want to look back at my life?
Bill Maher had a long dialogue with Jordan Peterson and I saw a snippet of it.
I think we played it on the air, in fact.
Oh no, we played it on Dennis and Julie.
You should all watch Dennis and Julie.
It's unique.
I promise you.
And Bill Maher has never been married.
I think he's 60-something now, right?
And Jordan Peterson has children.
I don't know if he has grandchildren yet.
I think he does.
I'm not sure.
Anyway, he has apparently a wonderful...
I know, not just apparently, I think.
I mean, no one knows about another's marriage.
Totally, but I believe he has a beautiful marriage.
I know how much he loves his wife.
I saw his reaction when he learned that she had a terrible cancer, which thank God she has recovered from.
So I knew when I was a kid, I want to prepare for old age.
Most kids never think about that.
I don't even take credit for it.
It's the nature God or nature gave me.
I thought about the big stuff, as I said.
Everyone should think like that.
So Bill Maher, they were talking about men and women and how exciting it is.
He has new women all the time.
I'm a man, I understand that.
It's not the way a woman thinks, but it's the way a man thinks.
But he has nothing to show for it.
So he'll die, and on his tombstone, he had an exciting life with many women.
Wow.
How about he had a beautiful life with one woman and has kids and had grandchildren.
Which do you prefer?
Not morally.
I would ask any young person.
Which do you think will bring you greater satisfaction as you approach death?
And approaching death is the source of wisdom.
If we never died, I don't think we would pursue wisdom.
There'd be no lesson to learn.
Oh, I'll read that book 200 years from now.
We wouldn't get married.
We wouldn't have kids.
We wouldn't work hard at our careers.
We wouldn't do anything.
We'd stay in bed, exactly.
Death gives life meaning.
It's just the way it works.
So, my cup runneth over.
I'm so lucky.
I'm lucky that I thought about this at an early age.
When my previous wife could not conceive, I said, I want another child.
I already had one.
And so I said, let's adopt a child.
There wasn't 60 seconds of hesitation in me.
If I can't have one biologically, I'd have one non-biologically.
Because I don't think blood means anything.
Which is a minority view, but I make a very powerful case for it.
And I will another time.
That'll be another Ultimate Issues Hour.
But I knew how important it was to me to have more children.
So all these young people who aren't getting married, 25% of Americans at age 40 have never been married.
A quarter of people age 40 in this society.
You know what it was in 1980?
8%.
And now it's a quarter.
They're not going to be happy as they get older.
I promise you that.
Okay, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Mike, hello.
Hello, Dennis.
Thank you for taking my call.
Looking forward to your birthday show tomorrow.
Thank you.
My question is, because you talk so much about the rational Bible and rational actions and whatnot, I was wondering what you have planned for succession in your, if you were to have an accident or if you were to pass away.
So you have an audience out there that just really worships your wisdom that you give us on a daily basis.
So if you could share any of that with us.
I know you have Julie and Marissa.
Just was wondering what your thoughts were regarding that.
Yeah, it's a very fair question, and I have a few answers.
So first of all, there's an obvious answer, PragerU, which is larger than me, thank God.
I can prove it's larger than me.
I have my favorite anecdote.
If you walk with me in an airport, Astrid could prove this because she's walked with airports with me.
I'm stopped a fair amount, mostly by young people.
So a young guy, about 35, and I, we're boarding a flight at Los Angeles Airport.
And he goes, oh.
I recognize you.
I love your videos at PragerU.
I go, thank you so much.
And he's continuing about how much PragerU means to him and how much he enjoys my videos.
And as we're about to separate getting onto the plane, he looks at me and he goes, just curious, do you work for PragerU?
I thought it was one of the great moments of my life.
A, because of the question.
It shows how much bigger than me PragerU is.
And B, because it enabled me to go with a very straight face, look into his eyes, and say, actually, I am Prager.
What did he do?
Oh, he was so apologetic, the poor guy.
I felt terrible.
It wasn't to make him feel bad.
But I couldn't resist.
That's so funny.
It is a great anecdote.
So that's part of the answer.
That gigantic institution.
but I have more individual answers coming up.
Hi, everybody.
Ultimate Issues Hour.
It's about life and death.
It really is.
About my column, about my birthday tomorrow.
And it's at DennisPrager.com and at TownHall.com.
So the last caller asked me, do I think about succession?
Of course I think about it.
Succession, though, is an interesting word.
What does that actually mean?
Does it mean to carry on my values and work?
Well, I'm sitting next to someone I really believe will do that.
Julie Hartman.
I didn't expect to find a Julie Hartman, to be honest.
And it's a great source of comfort to me.
It's a big deal.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you.
And I will add as well that in addition to Julie, there are so many wonderful people at PragerU.
And frankly, and I know Julie agrees, I think my wife should be President of the United States.
She really should.
Yes, she really should.
At the very least, and I know she's listening, so I'm going to say it loudly through the microphone, she should come onto this program.
No kidding.
People would be blown away.
I could sooner get Mr. Tubbs on the show.
You can leave him at home.
I would, but I'm just saying.
So I'm, you know, Alan Estrin is beyond words that he came into my life.
And Marissa was mentioned earlier.
I mean, there are so many.
And everyday people who have internalized your wisdom.
That's a really, really good point.
That's really the legacy.
That's right.
People I don't know.
So Chopped Liver asked me a question.
What I live through.
It's the daily endurance test.
In my headphones, did you hear what he said?
Of course.
What am I, chopped liver?
The white supremacist asked me if he's chopped liver.
We're working on a...
Okay.
Oh, that's true.
An artificial intelligence version of me.
That I don't see happening, I will admit.
Would you want that to happen?
That's an interesting question.
No.
It's very scary.
Yeah.
Good answer.
It's one of the few things that worries me is AI. It's really a shame I could do three hours with callers on this.
Maybe tomorrow.
That's an idea.
Maybe you make a very special show.
Anyway, if you're interested in saying happy birthday, I appreciate it.
I can't respond to all email, but a donation to PragerU.
Would be meaningful.
August is fundraising month.
So I really do bear my life on this program.
This column is an example.
And it's because I take life more seriously than I take me.
And that's why I can do this.
Thank you all.
Thank you, Julie.
Thanks for listening to the Daily Dennis Prager Podcast.
To hear the entire three hours of my radio show, commercial-free, every single day, become a member of PragerTopia.
You'll also get access to 15 years' worth of archives, as well as the daily show prep.
▲
Export Selection