Ep. 573 - Are You Proud To Be An American?

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Ben Shapiro frames the eve of July 4th around American patriotism, arguing that declining national pride—especially among Democrats—reflects rejection of America’s founding ideals. He also critiques polarization and incivility on the left, analyzes the Supreme Court pick (favoring a more reliable conservative), and closes with commentary on gender/biology, a film recommendation, and a critique of Starbucks' anti-bias response.

Main Topics: American patriotism and the July 4th poll (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro discusses a Gallup poll showing declining pride in being American, arguing that true patriotism is rooted in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution rather than any current president or government. Political polarization and incivility (Priority: 5/5): He argues the left has normalized harassment, shunning, and public confrontation of political opponents, citing examples involving Rand Paul, Scott Pruitt, Alan Dershowitz, and social media rhetoric. Supreme Court nomination strategy (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro evaluates Brett Kavanaugh as a likely nominee, expressing skepticism that Kavanaugh would reliably overturn Roe v. Wade and preferring a more dependable originalist such as Mike Lee. America’s role in global prosperity (Priority: 4/5): He contends the United States is the primary engine of global growth and moral progress, crediting American free-market and constitutional ideas for declining poverty, violence, and disease worldwide. Gender, biology, and attraction (Priority: 3/5): He discusses a study suggesting women are often attracted to 'benevolent sexists,' using it to argue that biological realities still shape relationships despite feminist ideology. Media/consumer institutions and social justice pressure (Priority: 3/5): He criticizes Starbucks for expanding anti-bias training and civil-rights reforms in response to controversy, calling it a capitulation to activist demands. Entertainment recommendation: A Quiet Place (Priority: 2/5): He recommends the film as an effective, tightly made horror movie with pro-family, pro-life, and pro-gun themes.

Key Arguments: Patriotism should be based on America’s founding ideals, not on whether one likes the current president. Democrats’ declining pride in America stems from viewing the nation through a Howard Zinn-style lens of oppression and power relations. America has historically freed more people from tyranny than any other country and has materially improved life worldwide. The left’s public shaming and harassment tactics worsen civic division and normalize intimidation instead of persuasion. The country’s current polarization reflects a breakdown in shared mythology, values, and civility. Kavanaugh may be a competent jurist but is too likely to resemble Chief Justice Roberts in seeking consensus over principled rulings. The Supreme Court fight matters because the next justice should be chosen for constitutional reliability, especially on abortion. Biological sex differences still matter, and women’s preferences in partners reflect evolved desires for protection, status, and competence. Starbucks is overcorrecting by adopting activist-driven reforms that treat a private company as if it were a public utility with 'customer rights'. A Quiet Place succeeds because it is concise, suspenseful, family-centered, and not politically didactic.

Data Points: Americans extremely proud to be American: 47% - Overall share of U.S. adults in the Gallup poll Democrats extremely proud to be American: 32% - Share among Democrats in the same poll Republicans extremely proud to be American: 74% - Shapiro cites Republican pride as much higher than Democrats' Republicans extremely proud in 2016: 68% - Comparison point referenced by Shapiro Democrats extremely proud in 2016: 46% - Comparison point referenced by Shapiro Drop among Democrats since 2016: 14 points - Shapiro cites the decline over two years Child deaths under age five in 1990: 12 million - Bill Gates statistic quoted in the discussion of global progress Child deaths under age five now: less than 5 million per year - Bill Gates statistic cited as evidence of improvement Violence reduction over 1,000 years: 100 times less violent - Bill Gates statistic quoted by Shapiro National debt: $21 trillion - Used in the Birch Gold ad read to frame financial uncertainty Potential Birch Gold promo bonus: up to $10,000 - Limited-time offer mentioned in the ad read Starbucks retraining shutdown: 3 hours - Company closed stores for anti-bias training after the Philadelphia incident Starbucks customer-rights proposal: customer bill of rights - A proposal Shapiro mocks as unnecessary for a private business Movie runtime: about 1.5 hours - Shapiro praises A Quiet Place for being concise

Pivotal Quotes: "My country is not the president. My country is the country based on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the philosophy that underlies that." — Ben Shapiro: Argument that patriotism should be anchored in founding principles rather than political leadership "The world is a far better place today, less violent deaths, less disease, more education than ever in its history." — Bill Gates: Quotation used by Shapiro to support his broader claim about global progress "Our rage is love." — Joss Whedon: Shapiro cites this tweet to criticize what he sees as left-wing moralized anger and hostility

Implications: Listeners are urged to reject identity-based cynicism, defend founding ideals, and resist normalization of political harassment. The episode suggests future conservative strategy should prioritize constitutional fidelity, cultural confidence, and skepticism of activist pressure on institutions.