Why America Kicks Ass - The Ben Shapiro Show

The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode: Why America Kicks Ass
Date: February 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Ben Shapiro shares a speech delivered at a City Journal event, honoring the Manhattan Institute—a leading conservative think tank. Shapiro’s remarks focus on the spirit of American optimism, the ideological challenges facing the country from both the left and segments of the right, and a passionate defense of the American Dream. He contrasts doom-laden narratives with a call to revive problem-solving, individual autonomy, and belief in the founding principles of the United States.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Appreciation for the City Journal and Manhattan Institute

Shapiro opens with gratitude toward City Journal and the Manhattan Institute, praising them for their intellectual rigor and optimism.
- “City Journal, perhaps the finest intellectual publication in all of America.” (02:29)
- Notes his own support as a donor, emphasizing their growing relevance.

2. The Value of Optimism

Shapiro stresses that true problem-solving requires optimism—believing problems can be identified, attributed, and solved.
- “Solving problems requires a few presuppositions. First, that we live in a system in which problems can be solved.” (03:29)
He warns that contemporary culture, on both the left and right, is abandoning this optimism in favor of cynicism and resignation.

3. Criticism of Both the Left and the “Horseshoe Right”

Both extremes, Shapiro argues, view America as fundamentally broken but for different reasons:
- The Left sees America’s founding and history as a heritage of exploitation and systemic sin (capitalism, racism, etc.).
- The Horseshoe Right (far-right radical/conspiratorial groups) sees America’s demise as stemming from a loss of traditional order and a shift toward “radical godlessness.”
- Both seek to consolidate power rather than repair and improve the system.
  - “Make no mistake, the Left and the Horseshoe Right despise America.” (05:18)

4. The Dangers of Centralized Power

Both ideological extremes, claims Shapiro, believe solutions lie in centralizing power—though purporting different ends (utopia or restoration).
- “Both the Left and the horseshoe right will hold hands to achieve their common aim: tearing down the system they see as fundamentally evil…” (08:11)
- He references a point of rare agreement between figures like Tucker Carlson and Cenk Uyghur—revolution against the “rigged” system.

5. Historical Perspective: Tocqueville on Soft Despotism

Shapiro draws upon Alexis de Tocqueville, warning of a paternalistic government that keeps the populace docile and dependent—“a flock of timid and industrious animals.”
- “Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence. It does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes…” (09:11)
He warns this tendency leads from softness to frustration, and eventually to outright tyranny.

6. Call to Action: Rekindling the American Spirit

Shapiro urges a renewed commitment to American values: individual bravery, autonomy, optimism, and real problem-solving.
- “Unless we fight back, unless we work to rekindle in the hearts of our fellow Americans bravery and optimism… we must encourage conservatives and all Americans to embrace what it means to be an American once again.” (10:23)
He champions the American Dream—not as utopia or domination, but as risk-taking, hard work, and aspiration for a better life.

7. Defense of the American Dream

The American Dream, says Shapiro, has been mischaracterized by extremists; it’s the story of people striving to improve their lives and communities, guided by liberty and virtue.
- “The American Dream is the dream my great great grandparents had … to solve the problems of life using the liberty and virtue and determination granted to us by our Creator in the freest, most prosperous governmental system ever crafted by human minds.” (11:31)
He insists the Dream is alive and “there for all of us, for the taking,” imploring Americans to instill these values in the next generation while there’s still time.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Problem-Solving in America:
“To solve problems requires a few presuppositions. First, that we live in a system in which problems can be solved.” (03:29)
On Ideological Extremes:
“Make no mistake, the Left and the Horseshoe Right despise America.” (05:18)
On Conspiracy and Power:
“If conspiratorial systems are to blame for their individual problems, then they are ripe for something far worse than that state of enervation. They are ripe for tyranny.” (09:54)
The American Dream Defined:
“The American Dream is not a dream of a Marxist commune or a feudal estate... It is the dream of a free and ethical people crossing oceans and mountains to build better lives for themselves.” (10:50)
On Hope and the Future:
“That dream [the American Dream] is with us still. That dream has not been stolen by a shadowy elite. It is there for all of us, for the taking.” (11:48)

Important Timestamps

[02:29] – Praise for City Journal & Manhattan Institute
[03:29] – Preconditions for solving problems; the importance of optimism
[05:18] – Both Left and Horseshoe Right’s shared disdain for America
[08:11] – The convergence of ideological extremes and the danger of centralized power
[09:11] – Tocqueville quoted: warning about soft despotism
[10:23] – Call for bravery, optimism, and American values
[10:50] – Vision of the American Dream
[11:48] – Reaffirming that the American Dream is still available and achievable

Tone and Language

Ben Shapiro’s tone throughout this speech is energetic, passionate, and urgent. He combines criticism of contemporary cynicism with a strong note of encouragement, blending historical references and personal conviction. His calls for action are both grounded in conservative principles and designed to inspire listeners to “rekindle the spirit of our founders and our forefathers.”

Summary

In “Why America Kicks Ass,” Ben Shapiro delivers a forceful defense of America’s founding values and a stern warning against creeping cynicism and centralized power. Criticizing both far-left and far-right pessimism, he champions the enduring optimism and problem-solving ethos essential to the American project. Ultimately, Shapiro argues that the American Dream is alive—if citizens have the courage and optimism to claim it.

Transcript

A (0:00)

New Year, new me. Cute, but how about New Year, New Money? With Experian, you can actually take control of your finances. Check your FICO score, find ways to save and get matched with credit card offers, giving you time to power through those New Year's goals. You know you're gonna crush start the year off right. Download the Experian app based on fico's great model offers an approval not guaranteed. Eligibility requirements and terms apply subject to credit check, which may impact your credit scores. Offers not available in all states. See experian.com for details. Experian Lifelock how can I help? The IRS said I filed my return.

B (0:34)

But I haven't One in four tax paying Americans has paid the price of identity fraud. What do I do? My refund though. I'm freaking out. Don't worry, I can fix this. LifeLock fixes identity theft guaranteed and gets your money back with up to $3 million in coverage.

A (0:47)

I'm so relieved.

B (0:48)

No problem.

A (0:49)

I'll be with you every step of the way.

B (0:51)

One in four was a fraud paying American. Not anymore. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast terms apply. Happy President's Day everybody. So a couple of weeks ago I had the honor of receiving an award from City Journal, which is a a publication of the Manhattan Institute. We have their guests on our program all the time. They have amazing number of truly wonderful and talented people. The speech that I gave there, I think that it is worth the listen because it speaks to where we are in our politics right now and the optimism we ought to have about America going forward can here's what it sounded like. Well, first of all, thank you all for coming to my Bar Mitzvah. It's obviously an honor to be introduced by Douglas Murray and also a challenge because having to speak after Douglas Murray is always a challenge. I don't have the mellifluous voice and his pacing is so much more soothing than my own. I want to thank obviously City Journal, perhaps the finest intellectual publication in all of America. I of course also want to thank Manhattan Institute, which is a spectacular think tank to which I myself am becoming a donor because of its important mission. It's a deeply, deeply important institution in American life and given all of the chaos that is now emerging in the think tank world, a significantly more important institution than it ever was. I think that it's going to grow by leaps and bounds and certainly should. I also want to thank a bunch of my Daily Wire colleagues who came in from Frozen Tennessee. I'm pretty sure that this was just an excuse for them not to be in Tennessee. But I want to thank particularly my business partner, Caleb Robinson co well, now CEO of the Daily Wire. He's been there the whole time building this alongside me and there are so many other people from Daily Wire here. That's wonderful. My father also I want to thank because without him I wouldn't be here here. That's just factually true. In any case, I've been a longtime City Journal and Manhattan Institute fan because it is incredibly thought provoking and because of its well researched investigations and because of its courage in saying that which must be said. But there's something else that I think makes City Journal and Manhattan Institute unique Their optimism. I'm an enormous fan of both of these institutions because of their unflagging and unwavering optimism about the country. That optimism shines through in their particular Solving concrete problems. To solve problems requires a few presuppositions. First, that we live in a system in which problems can be solved. There are lots of systems where you can't actually solve problems. Second, that problems can be attributed to to discoverable and cognizable causes. And third, that curing such problems is not some sort of Sisyphean nihilistic task, but a life improving and life affirming one. Unfortunately, we now live in a time when solving problems has become passe. Both the left and now large segments of the right, call them the Horseshoe Right or the Woke Right, are no longer interested in solving concrete problems. Instead, both are fascinated with the idea of a simple magical pill that that will wipe away all problems all at once. And that's because both the Left and the swath of the Right have decided that our problems are unsolvable. Both have decided that our system is fundamentally flawed. Both have decided that our problems are systemic and diffuse. Both have decided that curing problems is not merely a fool's errand, but counterproductive. Because solutions tend to uphold the very systems they despise. And make no mistake, the Left and the Horseshoe Right despise America. Truly despise it. They despise the ideas of the Founding. They despise the nature of our history. They despise what America is today. To the left, the Founding represents a preservation of dark systems of power and exploitation. To the Horseshoe Wright, the Founding represents the shattering of the common good preserved by a vast paternalistic power. To the left, American history represents an unbroken chain of sins springing from our original sins. Capitalism, religious intolerance, racism. To the Horseshoe right, American history represents fragmentation, a shift toward radical godlessness, imperialistic overreach. To the left, America today represents inhumanity, brutality to the weakest at home and even more brutality to those abroad. To the horseshoe right, America today represents collapse dedicated to selling out its own citizens while spreading a peculiar, ugly form of godlessness abroad. And the solution, according to both the left and the horseshoe right, is power. Centralization of power. Not the sort of power sufficient to solve problems, which is to say the sorts of power that the founders actually envisioned. You know, power divided between branches and between levels of polity. A different sort of power. A power that is unbridled and unchecked. That's the power sufficient to overthrow everything. When we launched the Daily Wire, we had all the usual uncertainties. What if nobody listens? Or people don't care what we have to say? Well, we're glad we took the risk. You can launch a business as well with our sponsor, Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform powering millions of businesses all around the world and 10% of all E commerce in the United States, including our very own Daily Wire Shop. Getting started is super simple. With hundreds of ready to use templates, you can build a beautiful online store that matches your brand's style. Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines and even enhance your product photography so you can accelerate your efficiency whether you're uploading new products or improving existing ones. Maybe already know you have a good product, but you need help getting the word out. Shopify helps you find your customers with easy to run email and social media campaigns, making it feel like you have a marketing team behind you. You can tackle all those important tasks in one place. But from inventory to payments to analytics without juggling multiple websites or platforms for small CPG teams or launching products, Shopify is indispensable. If you ever get stuck, Shopify's award winning 247 customer support is always around to help. Plus that iconic purple shop hey button and just recognizable it is the best converting checkout on planet earth and that means more sales for you. It's time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.comappiro head on over to shopify.com Shapiro that's shopify.com Shapiro the left seeks a collectivist utopia in which freedom from consequence is guaranteed. The horseshoe right sees a revanchist pre enlightenment blood and soil tyranny. Both the left and the horseshoe right will hold hands to achieve their common aim. Tearing down the system they see as fundamentally evil, as Tucker Carlson and Cenk Uyghur recently agreed, Quote, the people rigging the rules are the ones with all the wealth and the power up top. Their disagreements, they agreed, had to be put aside in favor of revolution. Now, I'm not arguing that because of all this, we're on the verge of some sort of totalitarian takeover. Totalitarian takeovers require preparation. They require groundwork. They require time. No, we are in phase one of that attempt, the convergence of the left and the horseshoe right, on behalf of a centralized power promising utopia and invariably coming up short. A government, in the words of Zoran Mamzani, that can replace the rigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism. A government, in the words of Adrian Vermeule, that will enjoy a capacious scope of public discretion to promote the common good. In democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville famously wrote of the lassitudinous condition that could arise in such a situation. He described what he called, quote, an innumerable multitude of men, all equal and alike, incessantly endeavoring to procure the petty and paltry pleasures with which they glut their lives. That multitude, he said, would be governed by an immense and tutelary power which takes upon itself alone to secure their gratifications and to watch over their fate. The people, he said, in such a condition would be reduced to enervation. The will of man is not shattered, but softened. Bent, guided men are seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence. It does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people till each nation is reduced to be nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals of which the government is the shepherd. This hits a little too close to home, like a lot too close to home. A people that has lost hope, a people that has retreated from the fractious, risky individualism that America was all about to the comfort of centralized power. A people that has surrendered its autonomy in the mistaken belief that autonomy was always an illusion. But that's just the first step. Because once people are made subject, once they begin to believe that their choices are not actually their own, that broad, powerful conspiracy. If conspiratorial systems are to blame for their individual problems, then they are ripe for something far worse than that state of enervation. They are ripe for tyranny. Enervation eventually gives way to frustration and then to rage. As soft despotism fails to achieve utopia, then people are left with a stark a reversion to freedom or the embrace of autocracy. Unless. Unless we fight back, Unless we work to rekindle in the hearts of our fellow Americans bravery and optimism. As the Manhattan Institute, City Journal and Daily Wire do day in and day out, we must encourage conservatives and all Americans to embrace what it means to be an American once again. What it means to actually dream the American Dream. The American Dream is not a dream of a Marxist commune or a feudal estate. It's not the dream of a tutelary power presiding over a vast redistributive scheme or the dream of a self appointed moral elite coercing us all into their quasi integralist vision of a common good. It is the dream of a free and ethical people crossing oceans and mountains to build better lives for themselves. Carving communities from wilderness, trading with and giving to one another, and most of all, making better lives for their children. The American Dream is the dream my great great grandparents had and that all of our ancestors had to solve the problems of life using the liberty and virtue and determination granted to us by our Creator in the freest, most prosperous governmental system ever crafted by human minds. That dream is with us still. That dream has not been stolen by a shadowy elite. It is there for all of us, for the taking. So we must rekindle that spirit, the spirit of our founders and our forefathers, in our own hearts and in the hearts of our children before it's too late. With the help of God and with the truthful optimism of institutions like Manhattan Institute and City Journal, we will thank you so much. So that was a speech I gave at the City Journal dinner a couple of weeks ago. We'll be back here with more on the show on the actual news tomorrow. Hope you have a wonderful President's Day weekend and we'll see you then.