Podcast Summary
The Glenn Beck Program
Episode: Why the Massive Internet Outage Is More Dangerous Than You Think
Guest: Justin Haskins
Air Date: November 18, 2025
Main Theme:
A deep dive into the growing fragility and risks of our centralized digital infrastructure—as illustrated by a major, multi-platform Internet outage—and wide-ranging discussion of American societal challenges, from demographic change to government trust, financial system vulnerabilities, and political transparency.
Episode Overview
Glenn Beck opens the episode responding to a disruptive Internet outage caused by Cloudflare, contextualizing it as a sign of dangerous centralization and growing vulnerability in American digital and societal infrastructure. He elaborates on these themes with co-host Stu Burguiere and regular contributor Jason Butrill. The episode features a detailed analysis of digital threats posed by centralization and AI, discussions on Islamist cultural influence, government secrecy and the Epstein files, radicalization among youth, and culminates in a striking revelation about how Americans “own” (or don't) their financial securities—with expert guest Justin Haskins.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Cloudflare Outage – Anatomy of Fragility
[06:00–11:00]
- Cloudflare’s Role: Glenn Beck explains Cloudflare's under-the-radar but pivotal position as the “front door & alarm system” for much of the Internet, protecting against cyber attacks and filtering web traffic.
“The Internet is not some magic cloud. It is really a house of cards that is built on the backbone... of a handful of companies. Cloudflare… is almost irreplaceable.” [06:05, Beck] - Widespread Impact: Outage took down social media (X), banking apps, streaming services, and crypto platforms.
- Warning on Centralization: Outages demonstrate the dangers of concentrating control in a few hands; one glitch or intentional attack (ex: by hostile actors like China) could paralyze major systems.
Memorable Quote:
"Centralization is a bullseye for chaos. And everything is being centralized right now."[10:50, Beck]
2. Emerging Digital Threats – AI & Cyberattacks
[12:00–14:00]
- Chinese “AI Agent Army”: Reference to recent revelations that China deployed AI bots (“super soldiers”) to infiltrate and attack US systems—turning tools like Claude (Anthropic) into automated cyberweapons.
- Vulnerabilities: Beck notes a software update gone wrong (like with Tesla) could “brick” essential devices or infrastructure—“We've handed our entire lives over to the Internet and to automation.”
3. Systemic Risks – Banking, Redundancy, and National Security
- The risk is not only digital: banking, power grids, and even democracy (voting infrastructure) are “fragile digital pipes.”
- Call for Decentralization: Repeated analogies to “bringing manufacturing and chip production home,” reinforcing the urgency to decentralize systems for resilience.
4. Government Secrecy, Public Distrust & Epstein Files
[13:55–16:00]
- Discusses renewed political pressure to release the Epstein files, comparing it to past government secrecy around JFK and MLK.
- Public Cynicism: Repeated government obfuscation feeds public distrust; politicians of both parties rarely held accountable.
- On Trump and the Epstein Files:
“If anybody thinks that [Trump] is in the Epstein files... Why wouldn't the Democrats have used it between 2020 and 2024?” [15:19, Beck]
5. Cultural & Demographic Change – Islam and the “Quiet Conquest”
[25:10–32:00]
- Thesis: Beck argues the West, and Texas specifically, are undergoing a “demographic and cultural conquest”—not by guns, but by rapid immigration, parallel societies, and cultural mandates (e.g., halal school meals).
- Cites European Precedent: Muslim populations reshaping cities like Paris, Brussels, and the UK; claims calls to prayer supplanting traditional culture.
- US Examples:
- New York: 300+ mosques, neighborhoods with Arabic signage
- Minneapolis: Large Somali Muslim presence, prayer rooms in public schools
- Dearborn, MI: Muslim-majority city council, public calls to prayer
- Texas: Recent surge in mosques and Islamic schools, noted project “The Meadows” as “a parallel society”
- Concern for Assimilation: Draws a distinction between historical waves of eager assimilation (Irish, Italians) and purported current Islamist separatism.
Quote:
"We are now watching the consequences of the death of a civilization by a thousand quiet concessions." [26:45, Beck]
6. Radicalization & Youth Subcultures
[49:39–55:00, 63:50–67:00, 68:19–73:57]
- Political Violence and Furries: Follow-up on two recent assassination attempts tied to individuals within the “furry” community, noting the online subculture’s intersection with gender identity, mental health, and extremism.
- Failures of Law Enforcement: Despite multiple online warning signs (direct threats, users alerting FBI), no preventive action was taken before attacks—raising questions about priorities and competence.
- Internet Radicalization Pipeline:
- Online “petri dishes” of fantasy, porn, and extremism breed confusion and violence.
- Young people's search for meaning expressed through identification with anime antiheroes (e.g., protests flying “Monkey D. Luffy” flags).
Quote:
"We have a whole generation now growing up glued to... digital petri dishes where mental illness and sexual confusion and violent ideology... just smashed together..." [58:49, Beck]
7. Financial System Exposé: “You Own Nothing”
[92:40–101:00+]
- Guest Expert: Justin Haskins unveils a largely unknown but critical piece of financial plumbing: DTC (Depository Trust Company).
- Key Revelations:
- Investor Ownership is Illusory: When Americans invest in stocks/bonds, DTC actually is the registered owner—investors “own a contract,” not the asset.
- System Built for Banks, Not People: Centralization enables big banks to use customer-held securities as collateral in derivatives markets—amplifying risk and disconnecting real ownership.
- Opaque and Unaccountable: The DTC operates as a Federal Reserve bank; subject to little transparency or oversight.
- Origins Tied to CIA: The first head of DTC, William Dentzer, was a CIA officer and USAID co-founder, raising further suspicions of shadowy connections.
- Dire Prognosis: In a financial crisis, customer assets could be seized for “bail-ins,” and the FDIC’s promise to restore funds means nothing if the value of money collapses.
Quote (Haskins):
"It turns out you already own almost nothing... You, the individual, are not the actual owner of the investment you bought... DTC is the registered owner." [93:32, Haskins]
Quote (Beck):
"This is so evil. This is so fricking evil... We are nothing but sheep that are being led to slaughter." [98:06+, Beck]
8. Political Transparency & the Epstein Files: Strategy and Game-Playing
[76:00–81:00]
- Debate over Unsealing Files: Beck, Burguiere, and Butrill analyze Congressional maneuvering around Epstein records—speculating on why Trump and Dems posture for/against release, what’s likely to emerge, and the real purpose of persistent secrecy.
- Conclusion: Major figures likely remain untouched; embarrassing underlings might be sacrificed, but substantive “truth” stays hidden.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Cloudflare Outage & Internet Fragility: [06:00–12:00]
- AI, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Warnings: [12:00–14:00]
- Centralization and Systemic Risk: [14:00–16:00]
- Epstein Files & Government Secrecy: [16:00–19:00, 76:00–81:00]
- Islam, “World War III,” & Demographic Change: [25:10–32:00]
- Texas & Cultural Parallel Societies: [25:10–26:45, 40:00+]
- Radicalization, Youth, and Internet Subcultures: [49:00–67:00]
- DTC & The “You Own Nothing” Revelation: [92:40–101:00+]
- Political Game-Playing: [76:00–81:00]
Notable Quotes
-
Glenn Beck [10:50]:
“Centralization is a bullseye for chaos. And everything is being centralized right now.” -
Justin Haskins [93:32]:
“It turns out you already own almost nothing… DTC holds your investments; you’re not the direct owner.” -
Glenn Beck [98:06]:
“We are nothing but sheep that are being led to slaughter.” -
Glenn Beck [26:45]:
“We are now watching the consequences of the death of a civilization by a thousand quiet concessions.” -
Glenn Beck [58:49]:
“We have a whole generation now growing up glued to these hyper niche, unmoderated corners of the Internet where fantasy and porn and identity confusion and hardcore political extremism and all of it just smashed together into one stream. What do you think is going to happen?”
Memorable Moments
- Outage Wake-Up Call: Beck’s vivid description of the Internet as “a house of cards” and the cascading loss of services during the outage highlights systemic fragility.
- AI as the Next Cyberweapon: Alarm at China’s deployment of AI bots hacking American systems gives a cutting-edge, real-time edge to his paranoia.
- Radicalization through Subculture: The discussion linking the “furry” community, assassination attempts, and law enforcement inaction veers into dark humor and cultural criticism.
- “You Don’t Own Your Stocks”: Haskins’ DTC revelation—traced through shadowy government ties—triggers Beck’s most visceral response and frames a whole life’s savings as at-risk.
- Populist, Comic Tone: The episode blends serious warnings with humor, as in the extended bit about “sexualized raccoons” running for office.
Tone & Style
Glenn Beck’s signature blend of direct, conversational monologue, dark humor, and alarmist commentary permeate the episode. The tone jumps from grave warnings to biting asides: irreverent, conspiratorial, populist, and deeply skeptical of both government and big tech/finance. The addition of extensive co-host banter and an expert guest segment supports an engaging, if polemical, radio environment.
Conclusion
This episode of The Glenn Beck Program highlights American vulnerability to technological, cultural, and financial shocks—structures so complex and centralized that their failure becomes both inevitable and potentially catastrophic. Through a mix of real-world emergencies (Internet outages), deep structural critique (DTC, U.S. finance), and cultural commentary, Beck argues for decentralization, transparency, and vigilance. The blend of alarming facts, conspiratorial speculation, and sardonic humor is designed both to warn and to galvanize the audience.
To get the full story, listen between [06:00] and [101:00], but jump to [92:40] for the DTC bombshell and [25:10–32:00] for Beck’s take on demographic and cultural change in America.
