Join Dennis Prager for a new Fireside Chat as he explains his tweet that Trump-haters find controversial, shares his tricks to staying calm, and describes some jobs he had growing up. Recorded on Jul. 20, 2017.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Eight hundred thousand whatever it is. It's unbelievable. I couldn't believe it myself and it was the subject of articles all over the internet
I don't mean little blocks, I mean big internet sites and it was the subject of an entire.
element today's New York Times this was the tweet,
the news media in the West pose a far greater threat. Whoops far greater danger,
to western civilization. Then Russia does again
The news media in the West pose a far greater danger to western civilization than Russia does.
I never send out stuff. I never write stuff to be provocative. I admit that some of it is, but I never have that as an intent.
People said ah well, maybe he was being in o hyperbolic to make a point. Nope
literally believe what I wrote. I would never have sent out something to so many people. I didn't fully believe it. So I read all these attacks
on me, I'm not the usual ones, cursing me out or than some guy wrote. I wipe off s h from bottom of my shoes that are better than this guy or something like that. It was deep the thing that about that, though,
Got me because this stuff doesn't bother me by the way and in fact the the lower the response, the lower level, the response, the more I think, I'm right, because if these are the people who think I'm wrong, I probably am right. So they should know that
at that, just riding if you or your a piece of this or a piece of that, just reinforces my belief that I'm probably right. I don't know for certain that I am, but I know, but I believe that, but other than those types of reactions. What most got me was that people did not understand when I wrote typical typical reaction- and this even came to my great sadness from
a number of conservative writers was modest Prager. Talking about how many nukes does the western media have nice thinking, they gotta peace, they gotta be kidding
When I say a danger to a civilization is
the only way you and dangerous civilization is? If you have nuclear weapons anyway,
Civilizations are threatened by ideas. People are threatened by weapons.
That's why I wrote civilization, I didn't write. People in the West are more threatened by the media. Obviously that would be absurd. I know Putin can blow us up. I've known this before.
Was the head. I feel the study was Soviet Union. I speak russian minority could do what
it's such a bizarre reaction. Of course they have weapons and the media doesn't have weapon
that's why I wrote civilization symbolism
are endangered by ideas
stern media- do not care for
or western civilization. As a rule,
because they're on the left and the left is not interested in western civilization, which it regards as sexist intolerant, xenophobic homophobic is Lama, phobic, racist and
Get it and the proof was, president trumps gave a speech in Warsaw a couple of weeks ago.
In which he said the western sky,
through civilization, needs to defend itself. It needs to prosper, it needs to survive and
We left wing media source, which means almost every media source in the West
The world said all:
he was saying is we have to protect white racist supremacists in
words, western civilization and racial supremacy are identical. That's what the that's.
what the media believe they wrote it. I didn't make this up. I was shocked so salami
sleep. They don't care afore
The survival of
Eastern civilization
the only regret I had. I went on Fox and friends, and I wrote my second column, my column, in other words, not second column, but my first column after the tweet NASH,
review in Town Hall and other places, and I explained what what this means about,
rejecting western civilization, and my only regret I wrote was- I didn't
clue? The universities, I should have said west
in universities and media pose a greater danger to
Excuse me to western civilization. Then does Russia
I was just reading on. My radio show today an article about
the London.
University of London, one the most prestigious universities in the UK?
is removing
almost all of the busts. You know the sculptures of thee.
Greatest minds that it has at its Institute of Psychiatry.
Ecology and new role.
And neuroscience
and you know why, because they're all bearded white men what's happening,
You understand, western civilization is not based on color. It is based on excellence.
If you wrote the best music painted the greatest paintings Roy
but the greatest philosophy wrote the best plays. That's all that matters.
we don't care if your white or black or green.
or yellow all week
AIR is what is the best.
the founders of this place were all white men, Sir
Obviously that's who will be up there, but now they want to
Diversity row, the concept of diverse
That is the antithesis, antithesis of excellence and therefore the antithesis of
Western civilization, why? Because it says we we judge people
by their race and ethnicity, not by their excellence, that's what it me
when you say diversity, Trump's, excellent excellence,
That's what you are saying: that's the
end of western civilization. It's based
who wrote the best,
it doesn't matter what their color the great.
composers. I know music really well, I will be conducting it or most prestigious concert holes in the world. In a few weeks ago I conducted my many years. It's my application. If you will.
And I will be conducting so I I know music pretty well the great,
composers were overwhelmingly german.
Slash Austrian. Ok, that's a fact.
My pro German for saying that is that idiocy, no, knowing pro music.
The New York Times, music critic
a few years ago, wrote the greatest a column, the greatest the ten composers.
any omitted some of the greatest names and he said I ll tell you why I don't want to have all Germans and Austrians
It's not a list of the ten greatest composers. It's a list of ten diver.
Nationally diverse, yet have a Frenchman in Marietta have a Russian in there. He had to have
hungarian in their ok, but nobody in his right mind thinks that bar talk is a greater composer than
but handle wasn't in there and Bartok was. This is what happened so, of course, this is a threat to western civilization if, if
at a big chunk of your media and and universities, don't believe and in the west. They think that it is
These are just a source of oppression to humanity,
colonialism, etc. Then
Firstly to say there were threat to the west. Is it.
Elicit a yawn not an angry.
column in the New York Times against me.
On the one hand, they constantly speak about how the west is racist and and an oppressive.
and sexist in all of the other things, then,
You say you know what gee you guys
against the west. Then they yelled at you.
It's like all I'm doing is putting up a mirror. It's the
To the media and to and to academia.
So a whole lot column today in the New York Times against me by guy
I like very much was done. Prig university videos, bread Stevens, but the he didn't like the column and the EU
Well, anyway, he and I will be doing a New York Times. Facebook exchange so you'll be able to see us debate. I guess, live.
When the earth for the high, like
Attacked by the well, let me be personal for a moment. People ask me over
because they read all these attacks on me. So does it bother you? It's totally logical question to ask. So let me tell you something that will be helpful to every one of you. Whatever your age.
I decided very very early in life because I became public very early. I started publicly lecturing at the age of twenty one when I came home from the Soviet Union and I lectured on what is happening in the Soviet Union to Jews and this
So I realized at a very early age that if you here's the way it works, if you let compliments go to your head, then the insults will go to your heart. So don't
Let the compliments go to your head and then you won't have the insults go to your heart. Compliments are beautiful things. I'm deeply deeply deeply appreciative of them, but they've never gone to my head. I'm pretty balanced,
sky and likewise with the insults they don't? They don't hurt my heart. If people I loved, started, saying bad things about me, then I would feel bad that I admit, but not if it's on the internet- and we would just before, but we are in a battle for western civilization, see. Let me explain what opposes. I explained: diversity. Multiculturalism. The concept is anti western. It says all cultures are equal, but they're. Not all humans are equal, but not all cultures mean just take. An extreme example. Was nazi culture equal to non nazi culture in the west.
Of course not so what happened to multiculturalism, even the multiculturalism multiculturalist has to make a moral judgment, civilization, a and symbols.
can be are not morally equivalent, but they can't say
that's the reason they want open borders. Hilary Clinton was for open borders. Remember that when I was one of the line she said and didn't know she was being recorded
Why are they for open borders? One moment you, my joy: they are for open borders, because why would you have borders if you have no civilization
to protect, if every body comes from the same, wonderful
culture, our bed, culture- that as we do, then with nothing to protect, correct, correct and that's why Europe is ceasing to be western culture. It is ceasing to be
Its living in it has led in millions of people, most of whom do not
Share their values, but they don't care because their multi multiculturalism is multiculturalism is antithetical to western civilization. Ok, good guys! We can go on two questions.
My Emi is that a male or a female, or are you not allowed to ask that anymore? I ask it. I actually do divide the world between male and female, so does biology. That doesn't mean that if you identify with the other sex that I'm going to be harshing or anything like that, that's your business, but the world is male and
Emmy from Phoenix asked Dennis being constantly immersed in the news in politics. How are you not perpetually angry as a great question? Where are we try to answer that? For one thing, I.
I'm it so hard a question, because I should be perpetually angry that that that is true and and when I think about, I am angry at the people tearing down the west tearing down America, I'm very angry because very hard to make a good civilization and it's very easy to tear down. Just remember that the left is awesome, a tearing down!
Like the university versus being torn down, so I am, I am angry in that sense, but I don't act it and I don't let it take me over.
I'm very mind centered. That's why I wrote a book on happiness. You have to be mine centered, but I
certainly intellectually angry rationally, angry. Yes, I am and that's why I fight a lot.
But I, but I don't have an angry temperament. I'm actually happy.
Which, by the way, most of the time, that's what you have in the left right difference. Every pole says that that people right of centre are happier than people left of centre and its true. It's were part of the reason people. Why do people demonstrate so much more violently on the left and on the right at when was the last time a bridge was closed by conservatives,
I don't know my suspicion is never when was the last time. A bridge was closed by left wing demonstration last week, and why is that? We think
guess passionately about our subjects as they do about there's. Why don't we closed bridges? Why don't we take over university administrators offices? Come conservative. Kids! Never do that at a university. Why
How come it's always there inside that's a very important point, because they are less happy. There angrier their angry.
Their angry import because their children and life is more complex than they can handle
That's why they go to safe spaces. Are there other coms.
derivative safe spaces. There ought to be the Beacon
conservative on an american campus is a lot harder than to be on the left. Why don't? We have safe spaces because we're grown up.
grown ups, though you don't get safe spaces in life, their children, so I others
there's somebody coming to the campus. I don't agree with give me a stuffed animal to play with that's what they do.
not even embarrassed. That's what's so amazing they're not embarrassed so anyway. So a long answer to a very important question, but no I'm a happy guy. Heaven.
H, a v e n is that a male or female, because you know him the picture: a shorter picture, you're. Judging on the basis of a picture you heterosexist normative cisgendered bigot.
Haven, a Prager force, member from Lucas, Michigan.
Lucas Michigan
I left my heart.
Luke Michigan thou.
the original, but nobody ever heard of it. So he used San Francisco.
Dennis. Why do you think churches and also synagogues struggling to attract young people a whole god? You guys are risking creek,
me one of these is worth an entire fireside chats, because a lot of
no order of imports number one young people.
Have been raised by anti religious teachers, not just eighteen.
Gifts or secularists, but people who have contempt for religion, especially for Christianity, which is the dominant religion in the western.
World, if Christianity fails, the West will fail and I'm a Jew saying this. Okay, I don't have any axe to grind, but that
that's that's reason number one they have been
truly indoctrinated to believe that religion is
idiots and bigots at best
for example, I'll bet you any.
one of you under ninety learned at school.
If you're, over nine b, you may not have
under ninety. You learned
More people have been killed in the name of God than any other thing. Now it's not true, but hey.
It sounds good real
twentieth century killed more innocence than any of the century in history than any five centuries combined
Probably than any ten centuries combined
and
done by an
I religious secular regimes, nazi and communist,
and in in fascist, okay. Does that count no apparently doesn't
on the twentyth century alone, had secular ideas coming
is anti religious, secular
not see was it was not
Based on religion, but.
and it was ultimately a certainly obviously certainly obviously, Judaism, Christianity, because Christianity, all after all, Christ was a Jew which makes it pretty bad. So they try to rewrite history.
And say: oh, they really said this. No, he wasn't the Jew. He was an Arian. It's like the Palestinian say that Jesus was not a Jew. He was a Palestinian, it's mind boggling, but you can rewrite history if you control the textbook
So that's one reason is been the anti religious education people get if you're sophisticated, you don't believe in God. That's the that's! The message that's been given.
Number two. I blame the religions,
much of Judaism and Christianity organised in their synagogues and churches are respectively.
Have not been faithful to their religious roots. They have taken up the cause of left wing ideologies, so you
go to a normative a protestant church, mainstream protestant church.
Go to Non orthodox synagogue.
and you are likely to hear a sermon about
There is really no gender, and certainly about
global warming and about other things that are important to the left. So what do you need to go to church or synagogue for you could hear all that watching CNN, why bother going to church were synagogue, but it's a big, a big lacuna in your life, a big hole. If you don't have good religion, it's a big hole.
You're kidding me: Instagram user haha, fruit, loops, haha
Oh, I know haha fruit, fruit, loops, a great person
writing from Canada. Is that how they do it on Instagram? You don't have a real name if they don't type out what their name is.
Anyway, by the way I like this, it's not.
Not dirty. It's not mean right. It's like it's like a sweet thing. I may adopt it hi. This is how fruit fruit loops. Welcome to my home.
Writing from Canada asks that's about it. The Canadians don't think
We know cities in Canada from Canada of not the
I not only no cities and Canada, I know all ten provinces I visited nine so
Your canadian tell me, where you're from
how do I come out as a conservative to my socialist parents to begging
okay? That would be easy, you're stuck
conservative,
I think it's easier to come out gave the conservative parents that they come out. Conservative two socialist berets.
Like a guy many years ago, called my radio show way
before same sex, marriage or anything like that said,
and ass? It is what you know: Roma Conservative in Hollywood and I've come out.
and I'm a gay and its come out. It is a game. It's a non issue, but I'll never come out as a Republican. Just so
How do you come out as a conservative to your socialist parents tell them you love them real, how much?
joking, say I love you mom and dad
and, however, for any number of reasons, I conservatives that what he said, conservative here
I. This is the way I now see things sums up totally open to talking to you about it, myself,
All I want is a loving home forever with you you're, my parents, you gotta catch
so just as the other way around. I tell parents if, if their kid is gay, the first thing you tell them I'll, love, love you and you.
You take to the parents. Here
Want you know, I love you, it has nothing to do with you, I'm not rejecting you so care,
it in warm in warm ways but
and by the way you don't have to bring it up all the time. It's.
I mean if you have a very, very close bond, you may feel that you have to even say this: I'm much are you even after mention it. I don't
I don't see why it's almost like gratuitous pain, they're not going to convert and you're not trying to convert them, so
sure you need to tell them anyway, they'll figure it out, because you'll probably be happy and gives.
in point they'll, say wise, our sun so happy in those Polly conservative.
Helen asks Dennis before
You began your public speaking career. What are some normal person, jobs that you had growing up? I love that
I love it, because my wife is sitting here who should
do one of these, but it would it would. It might cause a heart attack and I love her too much.
but I am,
I'm laughing
because she doesn't consider this a real job. That's why I'm laughing, but it's
snooty. On her part, I was a camp waiter.
Now she was a waitress in a real restaurant and she doesn't think that what I did is one tenth is difficult as what she did she's a hundred per cent right. I agree.
It was a blast I had the greatest typing a camp waiter
and I loved it. I look like I carried meals on trays,
Betrays I mean that's really old fashioned stuff, I loved it
and what else did I do? Oh yeah, I did a lot of things.
The following, however, is not a normal person type job. It's a moron job, I
on two occasions-
because I'm so tall you can't talk, is I'm sitting I'm sick for, and I was very tall, even in high school.
On two occasions. This was
my job, I hill?
the lights up. Further,
video man at a bar, mitzvah.
you must understand it takes
No intelligence to do this. None.
but all I had to do was hold the lights and I did and I got paid, I figured I love being paid. What else did I do? Oh yes, I taught hebrew school for years you love to,
Labour school is like Sunday School for Christians, it's it's
Through school for jewish kids,
and they re all hate it. They don't want to be there, and I knew this
So I went in the first day every year and I made
Is following announcement, I kids,
me tell you that my was little. I was only like five years older than they were. They were fifteen. I was like twenty twenty one, twenty two
oh I'd, say: listen
I know you don't wanna, be here and
I have too much dignity for you to be here just because you have been so guess what you do
have to, I have to be so interesting that I earn your attendance
it was like saying hello. I just arrived from Venus and I.
Like to say something, they couldn't believe what they heard. He I
The teacher has to earn their interest yep. That's what I said
So you have to pass the test at the end, but you don't have to show up to any of my classes and you
Then they all showed up, because I
an interesting I made an interesting case. I will I wanted them to be interested. Would that everyone who speaks publicly think the same
What other job I taught at college towards Brooklyn College for two or three years I taught
russian and jewish history.
and locked it too. I log teaching lighting
of myself as a teacher. Now what I'm doing now was teaching, I think, of on the radio, I'm a teacher. What else did I do
I never got played to pay accordion for good reason. They usually paid me not to so that doesn't count,
other than that. I did
Many normal type jobs are very lucky. I began speaking.
At a very early age.
I never had a normal ninety five job. In that sense,.
Guy from hurts elite is real money,
guy Dennis
what's the difference between a conservative and a classical liberal.
Well, I've often commented on this, but it's I could probably say this every week and it would still be worth it what
you do. Is you take issue by issue when you will see, for example, liberal
even by definition, means open minded leftists are not open minded. Liberals are open minded.
So when, when speakers are shut down their people alone,
don't even want to allow me to conduct an orchestra, because I'm a conservative.
Yeah you could find it on the internet somewhere. It's amazing I wanted
I don't even say all I'm doing is waving my hands to to the right, beat and telling what instruments to come in even that I'm conservative. I should not be allowed to do that the
leftism is the antithesis of liberalism.
Conservatives are much much closer to liberalism. Then
If the sore there was
nothing liberal about leftists nothing.
open minded is one example. Race is another. The
Liberal attitude is race means nothing, character means everything, but to the left, race means everything the so it's it's on. Every issue left and
rule are opposed. If liberals don't understand this, that means they ve already imbibed leftism into their thinking.
You're in Israel give you another example. Liberals were the most pro Israel Americans that their wheat we ever had in our country.
And they remain profoundly pro Israel, the left, hates Israel.
in the jewish left, hates Israel.
Oh they'll say we don't hate Israel. We hate Israel as an occupying colonial power. Ok, might my case rests. How did it get to be an occupying power?
because of colonialism or because they want a war in which their opponents tried to annihilate them.
Ben from Brisbane Australia ask Dennis. Why did you start Prager you
so that I would have viewers in Brisbane now. Actually this is a little truth that you asked why? Because it because it drove me crazy that people were only hearing and learning the the destructive nonsense that pervades our universities and to get the finest thinkers, including many prefer,
Measures to give the best they can in five minutes to show that there is a a more accurate way
understanding the world. This was this was the reason and to think that we are approaching half a billion views is, is per year. Yes, they
few per year. If somebody had said to me five years ago, and we started this- that you will have Dennis you, gonna have over a million views a year or said: thou, please from your mouth, the gods years, five hundred million and the single biggest
sliver is under thirty five years of age.
Alan S during the man whose idea was to start. This was just telling me just today, peas in Minneapolis,
and he was having dinner with some folks who hat who help Prego university exist, because their big donors.
So it was, he said, had he he said. Had I scripted it scripted, it have been better the twenty year old
waitress walks over and see some Prager? U material and she says, are you affiliated with Prager you so Alan says? Yes, oh my god. I watch every one of your videos
thank you- and this is if the donors think Alan put this woman up to it. I would totally understand its. But that's what happens. I am so grateful because we try to put out very, very sophisticated stuff, there's no
anger, there's no hatred, there's no name calling it's just essentially facts. That's
we never challenged. On fact. Never I read.
All the attacks will not all but a lot, and
just a right wing just right wing, but that's not enough.
Tell me where were wrong
I know for you and your friend saying right wing.
Mrs anything you differ with, but what we get wrong. So that's why we founded.
all right, a couple of more questions, Instagram user Almog him asked Dennis. Why do you want to lower taxes when they help build roads? Schools et Cetera,
because the bigger the government, the smaller the citizen, the bigger the government, the more the corruption, the bigger
Government, the worse the economy and, ultimately,
to run out of money. That's why this is Margaret Thatcher.
Socialism is
Our great line socialism.
Is when something for the effects
Socialism is man's when you run out of other people's money. That's right! How much money can you keep taking? It doesn't work. That's why.
You you bankrupt society, ultimately look at the Africa video.
it trigger you and and shows
Would you that, at a certain point of taxation, the government actually gets less money, which makes perfect sense if you text a hundred per cent
with the government, get more more or less money? Okay, if you
zero percent- it wouldn't be good if you take one hundred percent so somewhere between them is there is the right point for the most revenue it's about twenty eight percent, okay, and by the way, hospitals in how many hospitals were built by
Christians and Jews what what what big city doesn't have a Beth Israel or wherever
or a St Mary's right or a presbyterian hospital, that's who built most of the great hospitals in the country, not the government.
Jack asks Dennis. What are your thoughts on the libertarian movement? Libertarian movement is has great great thinkers, who are critics of big government, and I use them. We we have them on Prageru videos,
but I don't want to see the libertarian Party as a party. All it does is take away votes from from Republicans and thereby enables the left to win elections. It's not it's. They should be there as a libertarian should be there as a think tank. A big thing
To give us great ideas and on foreign policy I tend not to agree with them as well, but that's a separate issue.
And finally, Jim asks then ass. If you had a few minutes to speak with a male college, graduate what some advice you'd give him get married you'll be a better man. That's what I'd begin with so folks great to be with you hope I hope to be within next week and until then thank you and help Prager you, if you can guess we're doing a lot of good work. So so long for now you left just when I was trying to find the Margaret Thatcher line.
David, you could ignore David. What did he want? He wants to another great one when it runs out of money. I didn't remember sooner or later you run yeah all right. I paraphrase it, but I didn't know it. If that's what you want to get the problem with socialism and we did get some shots of yeah whenever.
this little acrobatic stretches that yes and the beauty is, it does not go to his head. That's very impressive. We raise humble dogs Monday title the Carol Swan Video. Have you watched it? Yet the video telling me we love the hello Dennis is Christine how you doing well. Did you get my message? I sure did I'm just calling to thank you. You know. I owe you so much gratitude thanks. Not only for the nice thing that you said about my daughter, but also for taking the time to meet with her. I really appreciate it. So let me be totally honest. I met with her as a favor to you and Roger, because I owe you so much.
And now I'm going to meet with her for the rest of my life having nothing to do with you, we could come on. Maybe it's up to her.
I'm not. Joking. I said to her. I want to be in your life, the rest of my life. I actually said that to her look, I just pulled over by what you're telling me, and I, of course, thrilled about that. She is just so special, I'm telling you. I got the chills listening to her she's. Just this is a precious precious human being heart mind. I just I just hope I can have some positive ideas for her, which I think I did and but really within five minutes. I was thrilled that I was with her.
Well, thank you. Thank you. I can't tell you how much gratitude I feel, how happy when you have this day makes me feel. Well, I can imagine you're a parent. How could it not? I fully understand yeah yeah. Thank you. I just want to thank you all around for everything as well or take the time to talk to her and wanting her in your life. Thank you. Well, the first one is to thank you. The rest is selfish. No, I just walk in my life, so the rest. There are no more thank you. Do.
Transcript generated on 2020-10-21.