Table Of ContentIn 1776, Thomas Paine’s words sparked a revolution.
Today, a new revolution of thought begins right now,
with you….
You might find yourself wondering what can be done to change our nation’s
course. I lay out several options, but I want to be clear that none of them include
violence. Thomas Paine and his fellow revolutionaries shed their blood so that
future generations would have access to weapons immeasurably stronger than
muskets or bayonets: the weapons of democracy. Those are the tools that we will
use to usher in a second American revolution, a revolution that won’t be fought
on battlefields, but in the hearts and minds of the three hundred million people
lucky enough to call America home.
Mercury Radio Arts/Threshold Editions
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Supplementary materials copyright © 2009 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
THRESHOLD EDITIONS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster,
Inc.
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 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4391-6950-6
ISBN-10: 1-4391-6950-0
Visit us on the Web:
http://www.SimonandSchuster.com
Pro Deo, Pro Familia, Pro Patria
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Two hundred and thirty-five years ago, a British citizen with only a basic
education set off to make a new life for himself in the British colonies. For two
years he worked hard and watched as his fellow colonists grew tired of British
oppression. Then he decided to act. Using his contacts in the publishing industry,
Thomas Paine anonymously released a pamphlet that made the case for
revolution using extraordinarily logical, straightforward, indisputable arguments.
He called it Common Sense.
Once Paine put his feelings into words, he realized that he wasn’t alone.
Only seven months passed between the release of Common Sense in January
1776 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Seven months—a
pinpoint in the history of time, but a moment that put the colonies on an
irreversible track toward revolution and, ultimately, freedom.
Seven months that changed the world, forever.
Today we find ourselves back in 1776—but this time our path forward isn’t
so clear-cut. The abuses being perpetrated by our government are just as obvious
now as they were then, but instead of rising up with a collective voice, we sit
idly by and watch as our hard-won freedoms slowly dissolve into a puddle of
apathy, political correctness, and outright corruption.
We feel helpless and alone as we hear confusing debates over obscure issues
play out on the airwaves daily. But that’s the lie. The infighting and the
purposeful division promoted by our political parties is a simple ploy to keep us
from uniting. After all, a citizenry that fights among itself over petty differences
is too busy to notice the real cause of its problems.
As you read the details of the immense harm that both parties have done to
our country, you might find yourself wondering what can be done to change our
course. I lay out several options, but I want to be clear that none of them
includes violence. Thomas Paine and his fellow revolutionaries shed their blood
so that future generations would have access to weapons immeasurably stronger
than muskets or bayonets: the weapons of democracy. Those are the tools that
we will use to usher in a second American revolution, a revolution that won’t be
fought on battlefields, but in the hearts and minds of the three hundred million
people lucky enough to call America home.
Over the years, many revolutionaries have used sharp tongues instead of
sharp knives—and the results have been extraordinary. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
for instance, once said to his supporters: “The question is not whether we will be
extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be…The nation and the world are
in dire need of creative extremists.”
It was inflammatory language, but he meant that it is much easier to simply
die for a cause than it is to find inventive, effective means to fight for it.
Violence is the easy way out—but it’s also a sure path to discrediting everything
you stand for, something that those opposed to him found out the hard way.
“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of
our time,” King said while accepting the Nobel Prize. He continued, “…[man
must] overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and
violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects
revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”
History has proven that King was right—and so our new revolution of
thought begins right now…with you.
Thomas Paine was an unremarkable man living in a remarkable time. He
proved that it doesn’t take celebrity, stature, or wealth to make a difference—it
only takes someone willing to say the things that need to be said. Well, I am no
Thomas Paine—he was an extraordinary writer, a renowned motivator, and a
heroic patriot—but the words that follow also need to be said, if for no other
reason than to ease my own conscience.
If you believe that it’s time to put principles above parties, character above
campaign promises, and Common Sense above all—then I ask you to read this
book, declare yourself a creative extremist, and then pass these words along to
others who may agree with something else that Martin Luther King, Jr., once
said:
The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in
times of great moral conflict.
Do not remain neutral. Do not sit idly by. Do not let others speak for you.
Silence has gotten us nowhere so it’s once again time for our collective voice to
make a simple yet powerful demand…
Don’t Tread on Me.
CONTENTS
A Note from the Author
GLENN BECK’S COMMON SENSE (2009)
Introduction
I: The Reshaping and Redefining of America
II: Money The Real Opiate of the Masses
III: The Political Weapon of Choice The U.S. Tax Code
IV: The Perks and Privileges of the Political Class
V: The Cancer of Progressivism
VI: Is It a Rising or a Setting Sun?
The 9.12 Project
The 9 Principles
The 12 Values
Let Your Journey Begin Here
Additional Reading
THOMAS PAINE’S COMMON SENSE (1776)
Introduction
Of the Origin and Design of Government in General, with
Concise Remarks on the English Constitution
Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession
Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs
Of the Present Ability of America, with Some Miscellaneous
Reflections
Sources
GLENN BECK’S COMMON SENSE
