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

Also by Glenn Beck

The Overton Window

Idiots Unplugged: Truth for Those Who Care to Listen (audiobook)

The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book

Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government

Glenn Becks Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine

Americas March to Socialism: Why Were One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades (audiobook)

The Christmas Sweater

An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the Worlds Biggest Problems

The Real America: Early Writings from the Heart and Heartland

The Plan to Restore Our
Trust, Truth and Treasure

Written & Edited by GLENN BECK and KEVIN BALFE

Illustrations by PAUL E. NUNN

Contributors: PETER SCHWEIZER, TYLER GRIMM, COLIN BALFE, and GARY BROZEK

To all the historians who refuse to compromise the truth to be popular, rich, or tenured.

History is rife with those who were called crazy by the establishment. They are almost always the ones who change the world while the establishment is forgotten.

A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2010 by Mercury Radio Arts, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Threshold Editions Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Threshold Editions/Mercury Radio Arts hardcover edition October 2010

THRESHOLD EDITIONS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

GLENN BECK is a trademark of Mercury Radio Arts, Inc.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

Designed by Timothy Shaner, NightandDayDesign.biz

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 978-1-4391-8719-7
ISBN 978-1-4391-9012-8 (ebook)

Special thanks to...

Everyone who make the long hours at work worth it: The VIEWERS, LISTENERS, READERS, and INSIDERS.

Everyone who makes the short hours at home worth it: All of my PARENTS, my wife, TANIA, and my amazing CHILDREN. And to my stepparents, VINCENT and MARY ANN COLONNA, thank you for being such good role models for your daughter, my wife.

Everyone atMERCURY RADIO ARTSwho has helped to turn a sketch on a whiteboard into a world-class company, including:CHRIS BALFE, KEVIN BALFE, STU BURGUIERE, DAN ANDROS, LIZ JULIS, RICH BONN, CAROLYN POLKE, PAT GRAY, JOE KERRY, SARAH SULLIVAN, CHRIS BRADY, KELLY THOMPSON, PATRICIA BALFE, JOHN CARNEY, JEREMY PRICE, and CHRISTINA GUASTELLA.

Everyone whose advice, support, and research made this book possible. I couldnt have put this together without youand any mistakes are, of course, all your fault:

Brian Riedl, Yaron Brook, Larry Schweikart, David Dougherty, Stephen Moore, Chris Edwards, Dan Mitchell, Erik Prince, Stephen K. Bannon, Steve Kraemer, Fraser Seitel, David Buckner, Andrew Biggs, Professor Owen Smith, Wilson Garrett, Emily Rittenberg, Dan Andros, Pat Gray, Stu Burguiere, Rhonda Adair, Abby Argersinger, Wynton Hall, David Healy, Jr., Grace Hemphill, Jonathan Nicholson, Tim Ward, Casey Wood, Ivan Santana, and Tad DeHaven.

Everyone at Simon & Schuster who makes these books possible (literally), including:CAROLYN REIDY, LOUISE BURKE, MITCHELL IVERS, ANTHONY ZICCARDI, LIZ PERL, and EMILY BESTLER.

Everyone at Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel who allows my voice to be heard by millions every day, including:MARK MAYS, JOHN HOGAN, CHARLIE RAHILLY, JULIE TALBOTT, DAN YUKELSON, and DAN METTER.

Everyone at Fox News who lets me be myself on television, warts and all, including:

ROGER AILES, BILL SHINE, SUZANNE SCOTT, BILL OREILLY, JOEL CHEAT-WOOD, TIFFANY SIEGEL, and everyone else on my extraordinary STAFF.

Everyone else who has helped me over the years in both big and small ways, including:GEORGE HILTZIK, KRAIG KITCHIN, BRIAN GLICKLICH, MATTHEW HILTZIK, JOSH RAFFEL, JON HUNTSMAN, DUANE WARD, STEVE SCHEFFER, DOM THEODORE, SCOTT BAKER, RICHARD PAUL EVANS, GEORGE LANGE, TIMOTHY SHANER, RUSSELL M. BALLARD, KEN SWEZEY, along with ALLEN, CAM, AMY, MARY, and the whole team at ISDANER.

BROKE

But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American War? The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.

JOHN ADAMS, 1818

In the history of the world, Americas great experiment with freedom has been nothing more than a blink of the eye. Our way of lifeunalienable rights, unquestionable freedoms, unimaginable wealthmay seem natural and permanent to us, but, among the billions who have lived, we are the only ones to have ever experienced it.

And now, I fear, weve never been so close to losing it.

I didnt choose to write about this subject because my passion in life is to reform Medicare or cut defense spending. I chose it because its taken us more than a hundred years to destroy the great American Experiment, and I believe we have only a fraction of that time left to save it.

Im not an expert in this subject, and my detractors will say that Im only an entertainer, or I do this just for the money. They couldnt be more wrong. I do shows on Wilson and Coolidge, I talk about Jesus far too much for most people, and I cry on national television. Am I really a ratings genius, or is it more likely that I am just a dad, a husband, a recovering slug, and a concerned American who wants his children to be able to experience what he did?

I guess you will have to decide.

As John Adams once said, revolutions take place in the hearts and minds of the people. To win that battle, we have to usher in a revolution of thought by shifting the debate in America from one about retirement ages and tax hikes to one about individual rights, equality of opportunity, and Gods role in our success.