We’ve been groomed. We’ve been lied to. We’ve been manipulated. And in turn‚ we’ve become groomers‚ liars‚ and manipulators ourselves. As long as I’ve been alive‚ or actually since America’s victory in World War II‚ our culture has gone all in with materialism. Money‚ status‚ comfort‚ largesse‚ science‚ and technology have been used to placate our fears‚ numb our traumas‚ distort our intuitions‚ and erode the truths that have undergirded mankind for millennia. We are living in a post-truth‚ post-betrayal America. Where do we go from here? We outsourced raising children to the government‚ through the public schools and day care‚ in exchange for two-car garages‚ microwaves‚ color televisions‚ women’s liberation‚ and TV dinners. The Baby Boomers chose their careers and keeping up with the Joneses over the well-being of their kids. I’m an ’80s kid. Generation X. I walked to school‚ delivered newspapers (remember those?)‚ and played "ditch" on summer nights with friends in the neighborhood. I had three or four hours a day of unsupervised play with friends from the age of six on. I was a “latchkey kid.” It was glorious. Gen X might be the last generation that had fights after school. We did not have authority figures suffocating us by trying to solve all our problems. We had to figure them out ourselves. Often those were solved through fisticuffs. Today there are no fights after school. Instead‚ we have metal detectors in schools‚ cops in schools‚ illiterate graduates‚ mushy-minded climate zealots anxious about a dying planet ... and school shootings. Can we maybe just kill the public schools? It only took me a few years working in the business world before I realized I hated every single task of every single day. Once I “got it‚” maybe 10 months into a job as a general manager at a major firm‚ then it became work I despised. We were the “price leader” in our industry — notice the term isn’t “quality leader” — but not a company with the greatest integrity. We overcharged our customers until they barked; then we’d back off‚ wait until things settled down‚ then raise prices again. I went to school at night for a decade as a soldier so I could get a “real job” when I left the service. I worked my butt off to land a position I was certain I wanted‚ only to learn that I hated it. I hated the job. I hated who I had become. The work had no intrinsic value. I absorbed the profit‚ profit‚ profit‚ material‚ material‚ material‚ lie‚ lie‚ lie ethic. I worked at this company in the oil and gas industry at the same time Enron collapsed. I came to understand that Enron is the standard. They are all Enron. We are all Enron. We lied about everything. Let me tell you about honest work that gives me pleasure: It’s when I scoop up the dog poop from my lawn knowing no one will step in it. Seriously. There is an immediate reward for honest work. I also love mowing my lawn. In 2017‚ my wife and I refinanced our home. I had to replace some stairs‚ laminate flooring‚ a toilet‚ and a lot of other little things that I had put off. I had never used a power tool before then. (Thank you for nothing‚ public schools.) The work was exhausting‚ but I learned something new every day. I had to figure out how to do a nose at the top step and the landing. I struggled with the problem for a few days‚ then — bam! I had an idea. It was hard‚ but I did it. I slipped into a coma each night for about six weeks while I did all this remodeling — and loved it. I loved myself‚ my wife‚ my family. I was a better human being because I was doing something productive. Something with real‚ honest feedback about my performance. Now a confession: I voted to legalize weed and gay marriage in 2012. I’d take both of those votes back if I could because I realize I fell for lies. Slippery slopes‚ it turns out‚ are often vertical. Think of all the lies you’ve been told and maybe even believed. Trades are for losers. Don't let marriage and children interfere with your career. Sleep around‚ it’s “empowering.” Porn is normal. OnlyFans is for liberated women. Take the pill. Take the vaccine. Fat makes you fat. Don’t worry about carbs. Take this pill if you’re feeling down. Take that pill to have sex. Take this prescription if you’re fat. Take statins. Take these pills for the rest of your life and you'll feel “normal.” Fat‚ drunk‚ and stupid are valid life choices. Empty sex is the point. Empty lives are the point. Depression and anxiety are the point. Titillation and distraction are the point. The only thing that saved me was being poor enough to need the Army’s G.I. Bill. What civilians don’t understand (and often this is below the surface with most veterans) is that our greatest benefit from military service — by an order of magnitude‚ not even close — is the number of deep‚ meaningful relationships gained in the military. It sustains us. It is what keeps us alive. Lydia Denworth makes this argument specifically in “Friendship: The Evolution‚ Biology‚ and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond.” Read it. And while you’re at it‚ read (or re-read) "Brave New World‚” by Aldous Huxley. The novel describes “erotic play” for children under five. Everyone takes a drug called Soma that gets them high without a hangover. The drug is just a distraction. We have plenty of those. It could be weed‚ or the internet‚ or games‚ or booze — but certainly your phone. We have been and continue to be groomed‚ lied to‚ and manipulated. We are living in a post-truth‚ post-betrayal America. Where do we go from here? I’m not sure. But the first step is to reject the lies and live a life of truth.

America’s border crisis is listed as one of the top voter issues of the 2024 election. People of all political ideologies mostly agree that illegal immigration is problematic and must be dealt with‚ but it seems Biden has no intentions of reversing course. Plus‚ with Election Day still months away‚ he has ample time to continue funneling more illegal immigrants into the country. “Biden could close the border‚ right?” Dave Rubin asks Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). “I mean yeah ... but he probably won’t stop something that he intentionally started‚” says Jordan. “They did this on purpose — willfully‚ deliberately‚ intentionally. They decided that they wanted to change three fundamental policies: no more wall‚ no more weight in Mexico‚ [and] once you’re here‚ you will not be detained.” “They can stop it if they put back in place those policies‚ but they just don't want to.” “When you talk to your colleagues on the other side‚ do they believe it's intentional? What do they think Biden’s intentions are? This is just a replacement of voters?” asks Dave. “That’s the question. Why are they doing it? I gotta believe it’s political. Sometimes I think it's just‚ ‘Well President Trump did A‚ B‚ and C‚ so we're going to do D‚ E‚ and F; we're not going to do what he did‚ we're going to do the opposite‚”’ Jordan speculates. The bottom line is‚ “we’re down to two options: [Biden] is not going to fix it‚ so we can wait for the election ... or we can use the power of the Constitution the framers gave us‚ which is the power of purse.” When the spending bill is due next month‚ we can say‚ “No money can be used to process or release into the country any new migrant” and instead focus on “evaluating the the 8 million who've come thus far” by having them “go through the adjudication process to see if they actually are legitimate asylum-seekers‚” says Jordan‚ acknowledging that this course of action is the opposite of the Senate’s border bill that was designed to “keep letting the flow happen.” In “three years and 17 days of the Biden administration‚ we went from a secure border to no border.” To hear more‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A highly anticipated reboot of popular 1990s cartoon "X-Men: The Animated Series" will change an existing character to be "nonbinary" for the new episodes‚ the showrunner has confirmed.More than a month before the series' launch on Disney+‚ Marvel's "X-Men '97" executive producer‚ Beau DeMayo‚ revealed that a pivotal character will be presented as nonbinary‚ meaning they do not identify with either gender.The original series aired from 1992-1997 and has since been heralded as one of the greatest cartoons of its era. The reboot has also had fans clamoring for nostalgia‚ with the trailer receiving just over 3 million views in its first six hours.As reported by Bounding into Comics however‚ the character Morph — who appears in the very first episode of the original — is adapted with a "lighter" approach‚ despite his apparent gender confusion.The change was confirmed by DeMayo in an interview with Empire Magazine set to appear in the April 2024 issue. "The death of shapeshifter Morph in the original animated series (it didn't stick‚ obviously) was shocking for young viewers‚ and it stuck with DeMayo‚" the excerpt read. "'He really set the stakes‚' [DeMayo] says‚ 'and he had a very interesting relationship with the team because of trauma.'""This is a lighter take on the character‚ who is nonbinary and has an interesting buddy relationship with Wolverine. The character's past with Mister Sinister‚ the show's villain‚ could also come into play."The character is not typically remembered by casual fans‚ but had a pivotal role in the original 1990s pilot‚ in which he saves Wolverine from an attack and is killed. He is later revealed to have been rescued from the attack by a villain who then turns him evil.Morph later rejoins the X-Men and becomes a mainstay in their group.Although the mutant's power is shape-shifting from a cellular level‚ he was never portrayed in either print or the cartoons as "nonbinary‚" which of course was not in any youngster's vernacular in the 1990s.Perhaps an argument in favor of the change would be that Morph can change into a woman (or any person he pleases)‚ but his default appearance was always a male. In artwork for the reboot‚ he now appears alien-like even alongside other characters who generally appear the same as the original drawings. Official poster for #XMen97 — (@) During a 2023 Marvel livestream event regarding the series‚ DeMayo stated that one of his goals for "X-Men '97" was to "really drill down to what I think the X-Men’s always going to be about which is just‚ you know‚ we talk a lot about the dream is social acceptance and it’s social justice.""I think that can sometimes make certain people feel alienated‚ and for me‚ it’s always going to come down to‚ I think‚ the X-Men and what we’re going to be trying to do with this series is talking about the power of empathy‚ and how it can kind of heal these wounds that turn people against each other‚" the creator opined. "That things like racism and bigotry don’t ‘just exist’ – there’s a reason behind it that empathy can kind of help us connect and build those bridges where we can actually say‚ ‘Hey‚ we are all different‚ but we have these little things that can still connect us.'"Only time will tell whether fans will press play on the new series or whether it will be chalked up as just another woke blunder for Marvel.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Biden administration officials are reportedly plotting how to use a transcript of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur for the president's political benefit.The plan contradicts Biden's promise to "bring transparency and truth back to government."According to NBC News‚ Biden's top aides are expecting a "lengthy partisan clash over the transcript and possibly the audio recording" of Biden's five-hour interview with Hur. To minimize political fallout — especially at a time when the majority of voters and Americans are concerned about Biden's age and mental acuity — the West Wing staff is even considering a "strategic" release of the transcript to highlight moments in the interview that they believe hide what many people believe is evidence of Biden's cognitive decline.More from NBC News:The internal discussions among Biden aides have focused on how the transcript of his interview might help him versus hurt him politically when it comes to voters’ concerns about his age‚ the people familiar with the discussions said. Another consideration is whether it would make strategic sense to release the entire transcript or — to the extent that full disclosure is avoidable — to publicize specific moments in the interview to help push back on questions about Biden’s handling of classified materials or mental fitness‚ the people familiar with the discussions said.The White House and Democrats have fiercely pushed back against Hur's description of Biden as an "elderly man with a poor memory‚" arguing the conclusion was unfair‚ politically motivated‚ and untrue. But no one in Biden's camp‚ including his personal attorney who sat through Biden's interview with Hur‚ has demanded to call for the release of the transcript.Perhaps one reason is that the transcripts might contradict the narrative that Biden and the White House have tried to paint about the interview.In one already-known instance‚ Biden publicly condemned Hur for allegedly asking about Beau Biden in the interview. But‚ according to NBC News‚ the transcripts show that Biden himself first mentioned his late son. If the transcripts are released‚ it will not be anytime soon because of the lengthy process to redact classified information.House Republicans‚ meanwhile‚ are demanding the transcripts and audio from the interview‚ asking the Justice Department to provide them by Feb. 19 — or be compelled to turn them over.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

House Democrats have announced a new congressional caucus based entirely on hip-hop music and culture‚ claiming that hip-hop artists are uniquely attuned to issues regarding "economic equality‚ affordable housing and racial justice imperatives."On Wednesday‚ a group of black lawmakers gathered on the steps of the Capitol to announce the Congressional Hip Hop Power and Justice Task Force. Spearheaded by Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.)‚ the caucus will rely on the messages conveyed by hip-hop music to get a better understanding of "what’s happening in our most marginalized communities‚" he said."Hip hop has always been about ending poverty in America‚ about fully funding our public schools. It’s always been about justice reform and police reform‚" Bowman said in a speech. "It’s always been about affordable housing and dealing with the issue of threats of violence."Raised by a "single Black mom‚" Bowman claimed hip hop played an important role in his youth and education. He said he hoped that the caucus will "honor" his mother and those like her."[This] will give honor to her and to pay homage to her as a single Black mom in America and pay homage to all the single Black mothers in America and all the women out there loving their sons and doing the best they can for their children‚ their families‚" he said.The day of the announcement happened to be the anniversary of Bowman's mother's passing. It also came during Black History Month and just a few months after a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the hip-hop genre. The caucus was also formed just as Democrat support among black Americans has cratered. As Blaze News previously reported‚ a Gallup poll released earlier this month showed that just 66% of black Americans supported the Democratic Party‚ down 11% from 2020. The Republican Party also gained 8% support since that time‚ from 11% to 19%In his speech‚ Bowman referenced Black Lives Matter‚ perhaps trying to rally black voters who supported BLM in spirit and at the ballot box in 2016 and 2020. He then also drew attention to the so-called "ceasefire" movement but did not explain how violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip relates to hip-hop music or how focusing on it will improve the lives of black Americans."The fight ... continues for freedom‚ justice and equality‚" Bowman said. "Now it’s time to build political power at a level that’s never been done before."Rep. Bowman made headlines last fall when he pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building to forestall a House vote on a continuing resolution that would have averted a government shutdown. He later pled guilty to making a false fire alarm‚ a misdemeanor‚ and paid a fine of $1‚000."I am responsible for activating a fire alarm‚ I will be paying the fine issued‚ and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped‚" he said at the time.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Alexander Smirnov‚ the FBI source‚ was arrested on February 14 and charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record for statements.

‘The WHCA does not‚ cannot‚ and will not serve as a repository for the government’s views of what’s in the news.’

NYT: Case Against Fani Willis Seems Familiar to Black Women

President Joe Biden Looks Perfectly Fine Being Led Around by His Wife‚ Dr. Jill Biden

Never Let a Tragedy Go to Waste: Biden Uses Kansas City Shooting to Attack Gun Rights -- Again