Republicans are missing an opportunity to draw a major distinction on the most important issue in the lives of Americans. He shared what he believes this issue is at Friday’s FAMiLY Leadership Summit.
As we move toward 2022 with an eye on the 2024 presidential race, candidates should be asked about things that actually matter, Carlson said. He told the attendees it is really strange to see the degree to which people live their lives out digitally.
“I can’t imagine a worse way to determine what matters than finding out what’s trending on Twitter or what’s appearing on your Facebook feed,” Carlson said.
Politicians often try to define the most important thing. For instance, the most important thing has become vanquishing Vladimir Putin off the planet. And that is according to Sen. Mitch McConnell.
“What he does in Ukraine, while I think is historically significant, is not more significant to me than what gas costs,” Carlson said. “In fact, it’s not even in the same universe. The rising price of fossil fuels is not an inconvenience – it’s the whole story.”
Cheap energy, cheap fossil fuels is what has propped up the United States of America. Carlson said the reason America is rich is because of its cheap fossil fuels. Gas is freedom. It is also the basis for the standard of living in America.
“You don’t need to be an economist to know this,” he said. “If that rises and you continue to get leaders, leaders that you vote for, whose campaigns you fund, who can look directly into the camera and say the single most important thing in the world is in a material sense totally unrelated to your life, that’s a huge problem. It’s not a democracy.”
Trans swimmers, Putin taking Crimea and climate change are issues the elected elite wants Americans to care most about.
“But they are not more important than your actual concerns,” Carlson said.
As a parent, Carlson said nothing in the world is more important than how your children are doing.
“You’re as happy as your unhappiest child,” Carlson said.
Does the country promise your children an ability to thrive going forward? Will you die knowing your children will be as happy and as secure as you have been?
“Is there something that matters more than that? No there’s not,” he said.
Anyone who believes otherwise is so diluted they shouldn’t have power or they’re lying to you.
Republicans are missing an opportunity to truly draw a dividing line, he said, over the importance of having a family. Democrats are actually making the case against having children.
“They’re making a case for devoting your life to some soulless national corporation,” Carlson said. “When I hear people say abortion is the most important right that we have, I ask myself what are you really saying? I mean, honestly, think about it for a second. What are they really saying?
“Conservatives, I think, very often begin with the debate whether abortion ends a life. It’s not really a debate. Everybody knows it. Everybody knows.”
Those who are saying they’re proud of their abortion are actually sad about it, Carlson said. Abortion is inherently sad.
“What are they promising to the American population when they promote this,” Carlson asked. “Citibank, Nike and Dick’s (Sporting Goods) and all these huge companies affirmatively it’s more important to serve us than to have a family. You will be happier as you rise within our company than you would be if you had your own children. Now, I never hear any Republican push back against this, but I can’t imagine a more grotesque and obvious lie. Children are the most enduring source of joy. This is not an ideological point. It is true.”
Anyone who tells a 28-year-old CitiBank employee what they really want is to move up to “assistance vice president in charge of international bonds” is not being honest.
“Really,” Carlson said. “Is someone from the HR Department going to hold your hand in hospice 40 years from now? Is the company going to love you unconditionally? No. It’s a lie. It’s a lie. And, in telling that lie, they are stripping young Americans of the promise of the only thing that matters – which is having a family.”
Anyone over 50 years old will say their greatest accomplishment and greatest source of joy is their family.
“Not one person ever said, ‘You know, I should’ve worked on Saturdays,’” Carlson said. “That has never happened and it never will. Work is necessary. In fact, it’s required. But life ends. We do die. That’s a fact. The unchanging fact is your work actually doesn’t mean very much in the end. In the end it does not. So, imagine a ruling class with people with actual power telling young people that it does. And in doing so, with the aid and financial backing of the biggest companies in the country. I don’t care if I sound like Bernie Sanders, that’s true. That’s absolutely true. Promoting the idea that your family is worthless compared to your loyalty to your employer and a political party. That’s a totalitarian message.”
Republican leadership should focus on that issue moving forward, Carlson concluded.
