Broke: The Three Crises That Threaten Our Freedom and Prosperity

Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure

Are you feeling broke? Not just financially, but also morally, intellectually and spiritually? If so, you are not alone. Millions of Americans are feeling the same way as they witness their country sinking into a deep crisis that threatens its future.

Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure

But how did we get here? And more importantly, what can we do about it? These are the questions that Glenn Beck, a bestselling author and a popular radio and TV host, tries to answer in his book "Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure". In this article, we will review some of the main arguments and proposals of his book.

What is Broke?

Broke is not just a word that describes our financial situation. It is also a word that captures the state of our society, our culture and our politics. According to Beck, we are broke in three ways:

• We are broke financially. We have a national debt of over $28 trillion and a yearly deficit of over $3 trillion. We are spending more than we earn, borrowing more than we can repay, and living beyond our means.

• We are broke morally. We have lost our sense of right and wrong, our respect for the rule of law, and our trust in each other and in our institutions. We have become a nation of liars, cheaters, thieves and addicts.

• We are broke politically. We have a dysfunctional government that is corrupted by special interests, paralyzed by partisan gridlock, and incapable of solving the problems we face. We have a media that is biased, dishonest, and divisive.

These three forms of brokenness are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. They feed on each other and create a vicious cycle that is hard to break. They also pose a serious threat to our freedom, our security and our prosperity.

How Did We Get Here?

To understand how we got here, we need to look at the history of our country and the decisions that shaped its destiny. Beck argues that there are three main factors that contributed to our current crisis:

The Debt Crisis

The debt crisis is the result of decades of irresponsible spending by both Republicans and Democrats. It started with the New Deal in the 1930s, which expanded the role of the federal government in the economy and created the first entitlement programs. It continued with the Great Society in the 1960s, which added more welfare programs and increased social spending. It accelerated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which added trillions of dollars to the defense budget. And it exploded with the bailouts, stimulus packages and health care reform in the 2000s, which added even more debt and liabilities.

The debt crisis has serious consequences for our country. It undermines our economic growth, erodes our purchasing power, increases our dependence on foreign creditors, exposes us to inflation and currency devaluation, and jeopardizes our national security.

The Moral Crisis

The moral crisis is the result of decades of cultural decay and social engineering by the progressive elites. It started with the sexual revolution in the 1960s, which challenged the traditional values of marriage, family and morality. It continued with the counterculture movement in the 1970s, which promoted drugs, rock music and rebellion. It accelerated with the political correctness movement in the 1980s and 1990s, which attacked the foundations of Western civilization, such as religion, patriotism and free speech. And it exploded with the postmodernism movement in the 2000s, which denied the existence of objective truth, absolute morality and universal human rights.

The moral crisis has serious consequences for our society. It destroys our social cohesion, weakens our family structure, lowers our educational standards, increases our crime rates, reduces our civic participation, and breeds apathy and nihilism.

The Leadership Crisis

The leadership crisis is the result of decades of betrayal and incompetence by the political elites and the media. It started with the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, which exposed the corruption and abuse of power by President Nixon and his administration. It continued with the Iran-Contra affair in the 1980s, which revealed the illegal and covert actions by President Reagan and his officials. It accelerated with the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the 1990s, which showed the immorality and dishonesty of President Clinton and his allies. And it exploded with the 9/11 attacks in the 2000s, which demonstrated the failure and negligence of President Bush and his advisers.

The leadership crisis has serious consequences for our politics. It erodes our confidence in our leaders, fuels our distrust in our institutions, polarizes our electorate, undermines our democracy, and weakens our influence in the world.

What Can We Do About It?

Now that we have diagnosed the problem, what is the solution? How can we fix what is broken? Beck offers a comprehensive plan to restore our trust, truth and treasure in his book "Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure". Here are some of his main suggestions:

The Plan to Restore Our Trust

To restore our trust, we need to rebuild trust in ourselves, our neighbors and our nation. We need to rediscover our founding principles, reclaim our personal responsibility and renew our civic engagement.

Rediscover Our Founding Principles

```html Our founding principles are the core values and ideals that inspired the American Revolution and the creation of the Constitution. They include life, liberty, property, equality, justice, consent of the governed, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, republicanism and individual rights. These principles are the basis of our freedom, our prosperity and our greatness as a nation.

We need to rediscover our founding principles because they have been forgotten, distorted or ignored by many of our leaders and citizens. We need to learn them, understand them and apply them to the challenges we face today. We need to defend them from the attacks and threats of those who want to undermine them or replace them with a different set of values and ideals.

Reclaim Our Personal Responsibility

Our personal responsibility is our ability and duty to take care of ourselves, our families and our communities. It is our willingness and capacity to make choices, take actions and accept consequences. It is our sense of accountability, self-reliance and self-discipline.

We need to reclaim our personal responsibility because it has been eroded, diminished or abandoned by many of our leaders and citizens. We need to stop relying on the government, the corporations or the experts to solve our problems or provide for our needs. We need to stop blaming others, making excuses or playing the victim for our failures or misfortunes. We need to start taking charge of our lives, making decisions and facing challenges.

Renew Our Civic Engagement

Our civic engagement is our involvement and participation in our society and our country. It is our contribution and service to our neighbors and our nation. It is our expression and exercise of our rights and duties as citizens.

We need to renew our civic engagement because it has been reduced, discouraged or corrupted by many of our leaders and citizens. We need to stop being apathetic, ignorant or cynical about the issues we face or the policies we adopt. We need to stop being passive, silent or compliant with the actions we take or the outcomes we accept. We need to start being informed, interested and active in the affairs of our society and our country.

The Plan to Restore Our Truth

To restore our truth, we need to restore honesty, integrity and transparency in our public discourse and our media. We need to expose the lies and the liars, educate ourselves and others and empower ourselves and others.

Expose The Lies And The Liars

The lies are the false or misleading information that we receive from various sources, such as politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists, activists, academics, journalists or celebrities. The liars are the people who deliberately or carelessly spread the lies for their own agenda, interest or benefit.

We need to expose the lies and the liars because they have a negative impact on our knowledge, our judgment and our behavior. They distort our perception of reality, confuse our understanding of facts, and influence our decision making and action taking. They undermine our trust, our truth and our treasure.

We can expose the lies and the liars by challenging, questioning and verifying the information we receive from various sources. We can use logic, evidence and common sense to test the validity, accuracy and consistency of the claims, arguments and data we encounter. We can use tools, resources and platforms to fact-check, debunk and expose the falsehoods, errors and biases we discover.

Educate Ourselves And Others

To educate ourselves and others means to learn, research and share the facts and the history behind the issues we face. It means to acquire, develop and improve our knowledge, skills and abilities to deal with the challenges we encounter. It means to inform, enlighten and inspire ourselves, our families, our friends, our colleagues, our neighbors, and anyone else who is willing to listen.

We need to educate ourselves and others because it has a positive impact on our knowledge, our judgment and our behavior. It enhances our perception of reality, clarifies our understanding of facts, and guides our decision making and action taking. It supports our trust, our truth and our treasure.

We can educate ourselves and others by reading, watching and listening to reliable and reputable sources of information, such as books, articles, podcasts, videos, documentaries or lectures. We can also join, create and participate in groups, forums, clubs, classes or events that offer opportunities for learning, discussion and exchange of ideas, opinions and perspectives.

Empower Ourselves And Others

To empower ourselves and others means to use our voice, our vote and our influence to make a difference in our society and our country. It means to express, advocate and promote our values, our principles and our interests in the public sphere. It means to support, encourage and empower ourselves, our families, our friends, our colleagues, our neighbors, and anyone else who shares our vision and our goals.

We need to empower ourselves and others because it has a positive impact on our knowledge, our judgment and our behavior. It strengthens our perception of reality, reinforces our understanding of facts, and motivates our decision making and action taking. It protects our trust, our truth and our treasure.

We can empower ourselves and others by speaking, writing and communicating our views, ideas and solutions to the issues we face. We can also vote, campaign and lobby for the candidates, policies and causes we believe in. We can also donate, volunteer and serve for the organizations, movements and projects we support.

The Plan to Restore Our Treasure

To restore our treasure, we need to restore fiscal sanity, economic prosperity and national security in America. We need to cut spending and balance the budget, reform entitlements and taxes, and invest in growth and innovation.

Cut Spending And Balance The Budget

To cut spending and balance the budget means to reduce government spending, eliminate waste and fraud, and achieve a balanced budget amendment. It means to spend less than we earn, live within our means, and pay off our debt.

We need to cut spending and balance the budget because it has a positive impact on our economy, our currency and our security. It boosts our economic growth, increases our purchasing power, and reduces our dependence on foreign creditors. It preserves our treasure.

We can cut spending and balance the budget by prioritizing, reviewing and auditing every government program, agency and department. We can also eliminate or reform those that are unnecessary, inefficient or ineffective. We can also pass a constitutional amendment that requires the federal government to balance its budget every year.

Reform Entitlements And Taxes

To reform entitlements and taxes means to reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, simplify the tax code and lower taxes for individuals and businesses. It means to ensure the sustainability of the social safety net, promote fairness and efficiency in the tax system, and stimulate economic activity and job creation.

We need to reform entitlements and taxes because it has a positive impact on our economy, our currency and our security. It saves money, reduces debt, and prevents bankruptcy. It lowers the tax burden, increases disposable income, and encourages investment and consumption. It preserves our treasure.

We can reform entitlements and taxes by adopting a combination of measures that include raising the retirement age, means-testing benefits, indexing payments to inflation, privatizing accounts, broadening the tax base, eliminating loopholes, deductions and exemptions, flattening the tax rates, lowering the corporate tax rate, abolishing the estate tax, etc.

Invest In Growth And Innovation

To invest in growth and innovation means to invest in infrastructure, energy, education and technology to create jobs, boost productivity and enhance competitiveness. It means to build roads, bridges, airports, railways, pipelines, grids, etc. It means to develop renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind or hydro. It means to improve the quality of education at all levels from preschool to college. It means to support research and development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

We need to invest in growth and innovation because it has a positive impact on our economy, our currency and our security. It creates jobs, increases income and reduces poverty. It improves efficiency, reduces costs and saves resources. It fosters creativity, invention and discovery. It preserves our treasure.

We can invest in growth and innovation by allocating more funds, resources and incentives to public and private sectors that are involved in infrastructure, energy, education and technology projects. We can also partner with other countries, organizations and institutions that share our vision and goals for growth and innovation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have seen that we are broke in three ways: financially, morally ```html In conclusion, we have seen that we are broke in three ways: financially, morally and politically. We have also seen that we can fix what is broken by following a plan to restore our trust, truth and treasure. We have reviewed some of the main arguments and proposals of Glenn Beck's book "Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure". We hope that this article has informed, enlightened and inspired you to take action and make a difference in your society and your country.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about the topic of this article:

Q: Who is Glenn Beck?

A: Glenn Beck is an American author, radio and TV host, political commentator and founder of The Blaze, a conservative media network. He is known for his outspoken views on various issues such as the economy, immigration, religion and history. He has written several bestselling books, including "The Overton Window", "Arguing with Idiots" and "The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life".

Q: What is the difference between debt and deficit?

A: Debt is the total amount of money that the government owes to its creditors, both domestic and foreign. Deficit is the difference between the government's revenues and expenditures in a given year. When the government spends more than it earns, it runs a deficit and adds to its debt.

Q: What are entitlement programs?

A: Entitlement programs are government programs that provide benefits to eligible individuals or groups based on their age, income, disability or other criteria. Examples of entitlement programs include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, food stamps, etc.

Q: What is a balanced budget amendment?

A: A balanced budget amendment is a proposed constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget every year, unless a supermajority of Congress votes to waive it or declare a war or an emergency. Supporters of a balanced budget amendment argue that it would force fiscal discipline and reduce debt. Opponents of a balanced budget amendment argue that it would limit flexibility and hamper economic growth.

Q: What are renewable sources of energy?

A: Renewable sources of energy are sources of energy that can be replenished naturally or artificially in a short period of time. Examples of renewable sources of energy include solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal, etc.

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