For all of human history, the four-stage debt cycle has remained the same: Discipline leads to economic prosperity; prosperity creates complacency; complacency tees up excessive spending; excessive spending turns into debt, which reaches a breaking point, necessitating discipline and restarting the cycle.

This has been true for every great empire the world has ever seen.

While the rise and fall of nations is nothing new, what is happening right now in global economics, says Glenn Beck, is indeed new — and it should terrify everyone.

“For the very first time in world history … the entire globe is riding the same wheel at the same time,” he warns.

“Right now, America, Europe, China, Japan, and every other major power … have all hit stage four at the same time.”

“The bond markets are shaking. The currencies are all volatile. Politicians are praying that no one notices the numbers. … Stage four is not coming. We are now living inside the opening act,” Glenn warns.

And yet a recent report from the National Retail Federation’s annual holiday forecast estimates that U.S. holiday retail sales will surpass $1 trillion for the first time ever.

Glenn, who says he is floored by the prices of food and goods and often wonders how the average person can afford to live right now, fears that the American people are making the same mistake as these governments on the brink of financial collapse.

“We’re spending, spending, spending, and I don’t understand it. … We’re just spending because we think we can get out of it,” he laments.

But our government and its constituents would be wise to remember what happens when stage four of the debt cycle is complete.

“It’s called the reset,” says Glenn, and it culminates in either crushing inflation, outright default and political chaos, or war.

For this to happen in any one country is terrible, but imagine the unmitigated catastrophe that would unfold if several global superpowers collapsed simultaneously.

“Rome collapsed by itself. France collapsed alone. Weimar collapsed by itself. Britain declined while America rose. It was always one country coming down and another country coming up,” says Glenn, but “this time all countries on both sides — the free world and the not-so-free world — there’s no one rising.”

“So what does that mean?” he asks.

While the history books can’t inform us, as this widespread teetering is unprecedented, we can only assume it means that rampant inflation, political upheaval, and war won’t be regional but “global” and “systemic.”

The silver lining is that collapse also “[creates] the conditions for renewal.” But until then, we are faced with a choice: Will we continue to spend ourselves into oblivion, or will we exercise the discipline it takes to create prosperity?

“The next chapter is not written. What happens to us is not written,” says Glenn, “and whether we rise or fall from what’s coming depends not on Washington, not on Wall Street, but on us in our homes and our families and our churches and our communities.”

To hear more of Glenn’s commentary, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Financial collapse, Economic crisis, Christmas, Holiday sales, Global collapse, Global superpowers, Debt cycle, Debt, National debt, Debt crisis, Blazetv, Blaze media 

A Kansas mayor who is not a U.S. citizen, despite residing in the state for most of his life, has been accused of illegally voting “multiple times” — and documents obtained by Blaze News seem to support those allegations.

Last month, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) held a press conference to announce that Coldwater Mayor Jose “Joe” Ceballos, 54, had been charged with three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury, all felonies.

He could face more than five years behind bars if convicted. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, added that a conviction would also prompt “removal proceedings” for Ceballos.

Ceballos appears to have cast a ballot at least once every year or every other year, beginning on August 1, 2000.

“In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a U.S. citizen. We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times,” Kobach said.

Voter registration applications and voting history records sent to Blaze News in response to a public records request seem to confirm Kobach’s allegations.

The two voter registration applications for Ceballos, one dated April 1999 and the other December 2012, indicate he established Kansas residency all the way back in 1986.

Both documents asked the applicant to confirm U.S citizenship. “I Swear or Affirm that I am a citizen of the United States,” the 1999 application states.

On the 2012 application, the “yes” box next to the question “are you a citizen of the United States of America?” is marked. The signature section then reiterates: “I swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States and a Kansas resident.”

Ceballos appears to have signed the 1999 application as “Joe” Ceballos and the 2012 application as Jose. He did not register for a party on either application.

RELATED: Noncitizen Kansas mayor accused of illegally voting ‘multiple times’ after winning re-election

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

The criminal complaint filed November 5 stated that Ceballos is “not a citizen of the United States,” and DHS noted that he received a green card in 1990 but remains a citizen of Mexico.

He was convicted of battery in 1995, according to DHS.

Moreover, Ceballos’ voting history revealed that he participated in dozens of primary and general elections since 2000, the earliest records the Comanche County clerk claimed to have.

According to the records, Ceballos cast a ballot at least once every year or every other year, beginning on August 1, 2000. The records indicate Ceballos voted in November 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.

It is unclear why a Republican Party affiliation was recorded for votes cast in the November 2004 and 2024 general elections.

RELATED: Thousands of possible illegal aliens found on Texas voter rolls, officials say

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

Allegations that Ceballos had voted first made headlines after he won re-election as Coldwater mayor on November 4, and City Attorney Skip Herd claimed that Ceballos had applied for U.S. citizenship just this year.

“He applied for citizenship in February of this year and, through that, raised the issue of whether he was a legal citizen,” Herd said.

Ceballos admitted to the Wichita Eagle that he did come to America as a child — the outlet described him as being “undocumented” at the time — and that he has since voted in every local, state, and federal election since 1991. However, he explained that he simply misunderstood the law, believing that the “permanent resident” designation on his green card meant that he was a citizen.

“I haven’t seen Mexico since I was four,” he said. “I don’t speak Spanish anymore. If I get deported, it would wreck my life.”

His attorney, Jess Hoeme, indicated that since Ceballos did not intend to vote illegally, “he’ll beat this” case with the jury.

Records from the Comanche County clerk’s office revealed that Ceballos’ voter registration was canceled on October 17, 2025. Those records further showed that he had been registered to vote in federal elections since at least February 2003, that he was at some point registered as a Republican, and that he filed a change of address in 2013.

Ceballos told the Eagle that he “probably” voted for Kobach to be state AG and for Donald Trump to be president every time they ran, even though in general, the twice-elected mayor is rather indifferent to politics.

“If politics comes up in Coldwater, I generally just get up and walk out,” Ceballos said.

RELATED: Trump plans major shake-up of how Americans vote ahead of 2026 midterm elections

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

Ceballos, who received nearly 83% of the vote from fellow Coldwater residents just a few weeks ago, enjoys continued support from his community.

“As a mayor, he’s done a wonderful job,” said Britt Lenertz, president of the Coldwater City Council. “As a city councilmember, he’s done a wonderful job. He’s always put our community first in everything he does.”

In an official statement, Lenertz acknowledged that the allegations were “concerning” but called for patience as the legal process unfolds: “We will allow the proper legal process to take its course before making any further comments. It’s important that we respect both due process and the integrity of our local government.”

Longtime friend Ryan Swayze described Ceballos as good-hearted and well-intentioned but also a bit naive. Swayze and his dad as well as Ceballos’ old special-education teacher all partially blame themselves for not explaining to Ceballos during his formative years the differences between permanent residents and U.S. citizens.

Ceballos did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment, but he did hint to the Wichita Eagle that the charges have greatly affected his well-being.

“I’m scared,” he told the outlet. “I’m not sleeping.”

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​Kansas, Ceballos, Mayor, Coldwater, Kris kobach, Voter fraud, Noncitizens voting, Politics 

Homeowners’ associations exploded across America beginning in the 1960s. No one describes HOAs as “popular,” and the horror stories of petty rules and bureaucratic neighbors are legion. Yet more Americans fight for the privilege of buying into them every year. The reason is simple: The HOA is the last legal mechanism Americans have to artificially recreate something the country once produced organically — a high-trust society.

People want neighborhoods where streets feel safe, houses stay maintained, and neighbors behave predictably. We call these places “high trust” because people do not expect those around them to violate basic standards. Doors remain unlocked, kids play outside, and property values rise. Americans once assumed this was the natural condition of ordinary life. It never was.

Everyone complains about HOAs, but they remain the only defense against the chaos modern culture produces.

High-trust societies are not accidental. They emerge only under specific cultural conditions. Trust forms when people can understand and predict the behavior of those around them. That requires a shared standard — how to act, how to maintain property, how to handle conflict. When those standards come from a common way of life, enforcement becomes minimal. People feel free not because they reject limits, but because the limits match their instincts and expectations.

Every social order requires maintenance, but the amount varies. When most residents share the same assumptions, small gestures keep the peace. A disapproving look from Mrs. Smith over an unkempt lawn prompts action. A loud party until 1 a.m. results in lost invitations until the offender corrects the behavior. Police rarely if ever enter the picture. The community polices itself through mutual judgment.

Several preconditions make this coordination possible. Residents must share standards so violations appear obvious. They must feel comfortable addressing those violations without fear of disproportionate or hostile reactions. And they must value the esteem of their neighbors enough to respond to correction. When those conditions collapse, norms collapse with them. As New York learned during the era of broken windows, one act of disorder invites the next.

American culture and government spent the last 60 years destroying those preconditions.

Academics and media stigmatized culturally cohesive neighborhoods, and government policies made them nearly impossible to maintain. Accusations of racism, sexism, or homophobia discourage the subtle social pressure that once corrected behavior. The informal network of mothers supervising neighborhood kids vanished as more women entered the corporate workforce. And as Robert Putnam documented, social trust deteriorates as diversity increases. Residents retreat into isolation, not engagement.

The HOA attempts to reconstruct a high-trust environment under conditions that no longer support it. Ownership, maintenance, and conduct move from cultural consensus to legal contract. Residents with widely different expectations sign binding agreements dictating noise levels, lawn care, parking, paint colors, and countless other micro-regulations. A formal board replaces Mrs. Smith’s frown. Fines replace gentle rebukes. Gates and walls replace the watchful eye of neighborhood moms.

What once came from community now comes from bureaucracy.

With home prices surging, families dedicate larger portions of their wealth to their houses. Few want to gamble on declining property values because their neighborhood slips into disorder. Everyone complains about HOAs, but they remain the only defense against the chaos modern culture produces. People enter hostile, artificial arrangements where neighbors behave like informants rather than partners — because the alternative threatens their largest investment.

RELATED: Do you want Caesar? Because this is how you get Caesar

Blaze Media Illustration

This analysis is not about suburban frustration. The HOA reveals a far broader truth: Modern America replaced a high-trust society with a trustless system enforced by administrative power.

As cultural diversity rises, the ability of a population to form democratic consensus declines. Without shared standards, people cannot coordinate behavior through social pressure. To replicate the order once produced organically by culture, society must formalize more and more interactions under the judgment of third parties — courts, bureaucracies, and regulatory bodies. The state becomes the referee for disputes communities once handled themselves.

Litigiousness rises, contracts proliferate, and coercion replaces custom. The virtue of the people declines as they lose the skills required to maintain trust with their neighbors. Instead of resolving conflict directly, they appeal to ever-expanding authorities. No one learns how to build trust; they only learn how to report violations.

The HOA problem is not really about homeowners or housing costs. It is a window into how America reorganized itself. A nation once shaped by shared norms and informal enforcement now relies on legalistic frameworks to manage daily life. Americans sense the artificiality, but they see no alternative. They know something fundamental has changed. They know the culture that sustained high-trust communities no longer exists.

The HOA simply makes the loss unavoidable.

​Opinion & analysis, Civilization, Cities, Homeowners association, Homeownership, Private property, Property rights, Surveillance, Nosy neighbors, High-trust society, Trust, Social capital, Robert putnam, Bowling alone, Neighborhood, Dispute, Fines, Contract 

The Girlguiding organization of the U.K. announced reluctantly that it would no longer allow transgender-identifying boys from joining the organization, and many on the left are imploding.

The association is a part of the global Scout Movement that includes the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in the U.S.

‘This is yet another horrible act of violence against the most vulnerable trans people for which the government is ultimately responsible.’

In its statement posted on Tuesday, the group said that the decision was made after a Supreme Court decision related to sex and gender.

“From today, 2 December, it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding,” the group said. “This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community.”

The organization serves about 300,000 girls in groups named Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and Rangers.

“Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalized groups,” they added. “Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.”

Many on the left were outraged over the announcement.

“This is f**king horrific. The statement makes it clear that they don’t actually want to do this, but feel they have no choice given the current climate and the fact a legal challenge would take more resources than they have. Transphobia: harming children since forever,” said one account on the X platform.

“Enjoy living on the side of the far right, Nazis, and the worst misogynists in society … I’m sure history will look kindly on that,” he added in a second post.

“This just made me burst into tears. It’s pure cruelty,” replied another user, who identified as queer.

Tammy Hymas, the policy lead for the TransActual group, decried the decision.

“It’s awful that an organization, which would happily be inclusive and has been for many years, is being forced to exclude young trans girls by adults with bigotries and institutional power,” Hymas said. “There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done.”

RELATED: Girl Guides says it will stop calling members ‘brownies’ because ‘racialized’ girls are ‘harmed’

Hymas went on to call it an act of violence.

“This is yet another horrible act of violence against the most vulnerable trans people for which the government is ultimately responsible,” she added. “Another trauma that will leave a generation of young LGBTQ+ people scarred for life.”

“F**k @Girlguiding. I’m absolutely f**king fuming and absolute ashamed to be part of an organization which can make such exclusive and divisive decisions,” another user replied on social media.

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​Trans-identifying boys, Girlguiding organization, Transphobia meltdown, Liberals meltdown on x, Politics 

A northwest Washington state sheriff’s deputy spotted a black sports car taking over the intersection of 112th Street South and Pacific Avenue South doing donuts around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said. The intersection appears to be in Parkland, which is about 20 minutes south of Tacoma.

However, as the deputy approached the intersection, the vehicle took off, officials said.

Deputies knocked on the door of a residence, and a male answered and claimed his friend had dropped off the Corvette earlier and did not know anything about it, officials said.

The deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle failed to stop, and the deputy was unable to catch up to it, officials said.

The deputy used his radio to share the vehicle’s direction of travel, and a sergeant picked up the pursuit — but lost sight of the car, officials said.

However, the sergeant later learned a black Corvette was listed as stolen and numerous other jurisdictions had similar encounters with the vehicle but were unable to catch it, officials said.

RELATED: Blaze News original: A dozen times vehicular street takeovers and ‘sideshows’ resulted in violence, injuries — even death

About an hour later, another deputy spotted a black Corvette in the area where police lost sight of it, officials said, adding that the Corvette matched the description of the vehicle that eluded deputies earlier.

Deputies soon learned the Corvette was stolen — and was the same vehicle they had been chasing, officials said.

Deputies knocked on the door of a residence, and a male answered and claimed his friend had dropped off the Corvette earlier and did not know anything about it, officials said.

But a bit more investigation revealed that the male being questioned had a social media account containing videos of him driving the stolen Corvette and doing donuts and other reckless driving crimes, officials said.

RELATED: Sheriff gives punks bad news about 88 cars towed and impounded after major street-takeover bust: ‘No need to keep calling’

Image source: Pierce County (Wa.) Sheriff’s Office bodycam video screenshot

Deputies arrested the 21-year-old suspect for eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, officials said, adding that the male also had warrants in another jurisdiction for reckless driving and unlawful exhibition of speed.

“It’s probably not a good idea to record yourself in a stolen vehicle doing donuts — and then post it to your social media,” Dep. Carly Cappetto wisely warned on the sheriff’s office clip.

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​Arrest, Crime solved, Donuts, Eluding, Obstruction of a law enforcement officer, Possession of a stolen vehicle, Reckless driving, Social media post, Stolen car, Street takeover, Unlawful exhibition of speed, Warrants, Washington state, Watch, Crime, Pierce county sheriff’s department