The Sanctity of the Individual and Constitutional Foundations

On September 1, 2022, Kim Monson explores the foundations of American liberty with two guests who bring unique perspectives on protecting individual rights. Lisa Bennett, entrepreneur and election integrity researcher, reports from the Moment of Truth Summit, while banking executive Jay Davidson examines how progressive taxation and government overreach threaten the sanctity of the individual.

Inside the Moment of Truth Summit

Start listening at 02:44 – Hour 1

Lisa Bennett, owner of Wild Skies luxury cabin rentals on Colorado’s Western Slope, provides a firsthand account of Mike Lindell’s Moment of Truth Summit. Bennett explains that the event was not a hacking demonstration but rather a forum where representatives from all 50 states presented evidence of election irregularities discovered in their jurisdictions.

Bennett emphasizes the fundamental principle that taxpayers fund election systems and therefore have a right to transparency. She draws a striking comparison to corporate auditing: no auditor would certify a company’s books simply on the CEO’s assurance that everything is correct. Yet election officials expect citizens to accept election results without access to the underlying data needed for meaningful verification.

The conversation turns to Colorado specifically, where Secretary of State Jena Griswold has restricted access to election data. Bennett details how canvassers found discrepancies between voter rolls and actual residency, and how machines fail to generate reports necessary for proper audits. She explains that New York investigators even discovered algorithmic patterns in voter identification numbers assigned to phantom voters.

“As a result of what we pay in our various taxes, whether it’s property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, et cetera, we have a right to that information and data that’s being produced.”

Lisa Bennett, Owner, Wild Skies

Constitutional Foundations and Individual Liberty

Start listening at 62:00 – Hour 2

Jay Davidson, founder and CEO of First American State Bank, delivers a masterclass on constitutional principles and why the sanctity of the individual forms the bedrock of American governance. As a banking executive and student of America’s founding documents, Davidson brings both practical business experience and deep philosophical understanding to the discussion.

Davidson traces how the progressive income tax, ratified in 1913, fundamentally shifted the relationship between citizens and government. He explains that Karl Marx advocated for progressive taxation precisely because it undermines individual achievement and entrepreneurship. The harder you work and the more you succeed, the more the government takes, creating a perverse incentive structure antithetic to American founding principles.

The conversation turns to cronyism versus capitalism. Davidson distinguishes between true capitalism, which flows naturally from individual liberty and property rights, and cronyism, where government picks winners and losers through subsidies and special treatment. He points to electric vehicle mandates as a prime example of government interference distorting markets.

Kim and Davidson discuss how economic development offices at state and local levels often amount to bureaucrats choosing which businesses receive special breaks while everyone else plays by different rules. This, they argue, represents the opposite of free market principles enshrined in America’s founding.

“Capitalism is a natural outgrowth of the sanctity of the individual, the right of the individual to make his or her own decision. It grows naturally from our Constitution and our Declaration.”

Jay Davidson, Founder and CEO, First American State Bank

Student Loan Debt Transfer and Moral Hazard

Start listening at 103:06 – Hour 2

The final segment addresses President Biden’s student loan debt cancellation policy. Davidson argues this represents not forgiveness but a transfer of obligation from those who willingly took on debt to taxpayers who never benefited. He explains the moral argument: when you accept money with a promise to repay, you have an obligation to honor that commitment.

Davidson describes how government takeover of student loans from private banks created perverse incentives that drove tuition costs skyward. When banks made these loans, they required creditworthy co-signers and had real money at risk. Government lending faces no such accountability, leading to collusion between higher education institutions and federal loan programs.

“It’s not a forgiveness. It’s a transfer of debt from somebody that benefited from it to many people who never benefited from it.”

Jay Davidson, Founder and CEO, First American State Bank