President Ronald Reagan is famous for his one-liners. Some were funny, such as “there you go again.” Others were threatening, such as, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” It seemed like he was always going to say something profound when he spoke which helped make him one of the most liked Presidents in modern history.

There were two quotes in particular that are at play today. Both were warnings and both seem to be coming to fruition in ways many Americans likely didn’t think possible a decade or two ago. I know I didn’t. I knew it was possible for things to change over time and for the overarching sentiment of the nation to shift, but I did not anticipate we would be so close to them becoming a reality in my lifetime, let alone in such a short period of time.

Let’s look at the two quotes and how the warnings from President Reagan are not being heeded, thus setting us on a collision course with what he feared for America’s future.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

When my son was in high school, I often asked him about the state of affairs with the youth of the time. He is a patriot and I always heard the doom and gloom from many parents who said the schools were indoctrinating their children into false belief systems and failed ideologies. Despite these reports, I never feared for his generation because they were just as appalled by 9/11 as mine was. They may not have been as cognizant of the geopolitical implications, nor were they as concerned about Islamic radicalization as the older generations who reacted to the attacks, but they still loved America.

In many ways, the leftist indoctrination was incremental. The internet and the rise of gaming technology had much more of a negative effect on his generation than any ideological pushes. But today’s younger generation is different. We see them doing things that make no sense. I don’t want to make blanket claims, but this isn’t the same thing as the standard generational condemnation placed on youths from parents who don’t understand. I do understand what this generation is seeing and doing. It’s not good.

This is a generation that is polling between 40%-55% in favor of socialism. Think about that. Such concepts were unthinkable to all previous American generations because they all recognized the fallacies of socialism based on what they were taught by parents, teachers, professors, each other, and most recently on the internet itself. But the fringe professors of the past are the mainstream professors of today. Even high school teachers have become so unhinged with their teachings that many, particularly younger ones, feel it’s necessary to instill a sense of hostility towards their own country.

What was once anecdotal is now so commonplace it no longer makes for a good headline. It’s expected. The gap in understanding about the nature of socialism, communism, and other radical philosophies in government have yielded a generation that no longer cares so much about their freedom. They are a generation of contradictions and enigmas; they don’t want to be told what to do yet they want the government to step in and get involved in everything.

How did this happen? How did we go from a generation like the one that grew up under Reagan and the subsequent generation that grew up through 9/11, both of whom loved and appreciated America, to the generation of today that is suddenly against everything signified by America’s actual existence? To answer that, we need to look at Reagan’s second great warning.

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

I don’t think I need to explain this one at all. If you’re a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, one who practices a Judeo-Christian faith, then you are very well aware that our nation is slipping away from the religious foundation that not only built us but kept us improving as a country until recently. One can look at Roe v. Wade, gay marriage, or other political examples of the nation’s faith slipping away, but those are symptoms. The cultural shift away from the faith is the root cause of our nation’s moral distress.

One cannot be surrounded by sin and expect that it won’t creep into his house.

But the Biblical writers often told of challenges from within the church itself. We’re seeing this as the spirit of antichrist today manifesting in false teachers and dismal representatives of the Gospel. Ask today’s youthful generation to name a religious leader. The answers will vary but chances are strong they’ve heard of a prosperity gospel megachurch pastor or a corrupt televangelist. They see the greed that drives so many in false church and they believe this is what the faith is all about. They see Westboro Baptist Church, the priest sex scandals, and pastors telling their congregations they need a bigger jet.

If the “church” represents greed, bigotry, and sexual misconduct to this generation, why would they turn to it for their own understanding of life?

It’s not a stretch to generalize that this generation, at least a very large chunk of it, worship on the altars of climate change, transhumanism, and Hollywood morality. They cannot reconcile their strong beliefs against the persecution of the LGBTQ community and still find personal solace in a religious movement that is allegedly doing the persecuting.

I had a jarring conversation a few years back with a gay friend. We were up late one night talking about his beliefs. He knew (as all do deep down) that there must be a creator, but no argument I made for the truth of the Bible could convince him righteousness could be found there. This was my own shortcoming, something I’ve regretted ever since. I failed him by not being able to overcome the perception of hatred he felt was directed towards him by “church folks.”

We must all do better.

Reagan feared a generation that abandoned freedom and a country that abandoned faith. It shouldn’t be surprising that the greatest threat to our future as a nation is the symbiotic expansion of both of his greatest fears.

Today has been loaded with heated social media exchanges. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on one of the edges supporting or denouncing the President after the release of the Mueller report or if you’re in the middle. If you have an opinion that anyone hears, there’s a good chance you’ll get an earful.

Earlier, I wrote about my initial reaction to the Mueller report, how it will only loosely sway the minds of a percentage of people in the middle but how both supporters and opponents of the President will continue to feel how they felt before the report. I also said I’d be reading the report tonight. I’ve changed my mind. Now that it’s clear the President will not be impeached, the endless debate over whether or not he obstructed will begin and continue indefinitely. But it shouldn’t. This is done. Draw your conclusions. Get your feelings out on social media. Say a prayer, light a candle, drink a beer – do whatever it takes to bring yourself closure to this whole debacle.

This is all politics. It’s time to put all efforts into solving the multitude of problems facing us.

• We have a growing crisis at the southern border with no end in sight and very little movement happening in DC to address the issue.
• The abortion industry is becoming more powerful despite strides being made by pro-life activists and politicians.
• North Korea just got a lot more aggressive as they continue to pursue their nuclear ambitions.
• A Middle East peace deal is about to be unveiled in less than a month, yet neither side seems to be close to even approaching the negotiating table.
• Our national debt continues to skyrocket, along with our budget deficit and spending.

I could list about a hundred other issues that are exponentially more important to the well-being of the American people and the defense of the Constitution than the dumpster fire surrounding the Mueller report. People on both sides of the aisle may enjoy debating the importance or irrelevance of the findings in the report, but nothing will change even if either side wins, which they won’t.

It’s time to move on. There are serious issues that must be addressed and debating the Mueller report will do absolutely nothing to address them. This distraction should end and lawmakers should get back to work.

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Will you help revive the American Conservative Movement?

As you may have noticed, I’ve been focusing a lot of attention lately on the need for an alternative to the Democrat/Republican duopoly, particularly as we approach the 2020 election. This has led to a lot of feedback from people who don’t exactly agree with me, particularly when I point out how Trump and the GOP fail to uphold conservative values and how this disqualifies them to lead our movement.

Some of the most common criticisms I hear, besides being accused of working for CNN or being privately funded by George Soros — I still wish I had some of his money — is how I’m simply being negative and that I need to focus more on the “good things” Trump and the GOP are doing for the country.

Of course, I’d be happy to do as they suggest, if only they actually did anything good — for example, keeping their promises.

The Republican Party has been a lost cause in my book ever since John Boehner and Mitch McConnell teamed up to “crush the conservative opposition” while simultaneously advancing the socialist agenda of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi — an agenda McConnell claims the GOP will stop if we allow them to keep their Senate majority.

So-called conservative groups like the House Freedom Caucus like to talk a good game, but they have embraced the agenda of the NY Liberal occupying the White House and replaced conservatism with Trumpservatism.

And let’s not forget Trump has also targeted real conservatives for not carrying the Trumpservative water.

While Democrats are easy targets due to their advocacy of socialism, the advance of socialism and liberty-killing big government at the hands of Republican vagabonds simply cannot be underestimated. And to make matters worse, socialism is being embraced by so-called conservatives as well.

To put it bluntly, I’m a critic of these frauds, not a cheerleader, because truth is more important than going along to get along. This means I often find myself alone, but as I once wrote, “I’d rather walk the right road alone than walk the wrong road with a crowd.”

When faced by the overwhelming forces opposing conservative values, I’m often reminded of a scene near the end of the movie, The Matrix Revolutions, the third installment of The Matrix trilogy, where Agent Smith appears to have defeated Neo.

Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you’re fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can’t win. It’s pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?

Neo: Because I choose to.

“Because I choose to.” That’s it, right there.

Liberty or tyranny. Freedom or slavery. Surrender or revolution. To break free of the GOP “Matrix,” we need to choose to persist in fighting for what we believe in.

From now through 2020, I choose to be a revolutionary who speaks truth because, as George Orwell once stated, “speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.”

And even after the election, I will choose to continue being a voice in the wilderness by calling out faux conservatives in Washington and the media for exchanging conservative values for political preservation.

I will also continue to call out the Fellowship of the Pharisees for sacrificing the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the altar of cheap grace for a seat at Trump’s table.

Like I said, I’m a critic, not a cheerleader. Besides, the establishment already has enough cheerleaders.

Originally posted on StridentConservative.com.

David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative. His daily radio commentary is distributed by the Salem Radio Network and is heard on stations across America.

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