Opposing the World Economic Forum and the Cost of Defunding Police

On February 6, 2023, Kim Monson examines threats to American liberty from both global elites and domestic policy failures. Samuel Gregg of the American Institute for Economic Research explains why opposition to the World Economic Forum is not only rational but necessary, while Yvonne Paez draws on her experience as an Army veteran and former police officer to detail how anti-police policies have created a self-fulfilling prophecy of rising crime. Earlier in the hour, Colorado Union of Taxpayers board members Wendy Warner and Rob Knuth discuss the organization’s work tracking legislation and protecting taxpayers.

The Dangers of Davos Groupthink

Start listening at 32:39 – Hour 1

In this segment, Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research and author of The Next American Economy, joins Kim to discuss why it is not mad to oppose the World Economic Forum. Gregg explains that Davos has evolved from a discussion forum into a policy activism organization pushing top-down solutions that threaten national sovereignty and individual freedom.

Gregg describes what political scientist Samuel Huntington called “Davos Man,” a monolithic class of business leaders, politicians, and NGO executives who share progressive assumptions on everything from climate change to economic policy. The problem, Gregg argues, is not that people get together to discuss problems, but that no dissent from the established orthodoxy is tolerated. He points to Al Gore’s recent speech at Davos, where the former vice president appeared “deranged” when confronted with climate skepticism, as evidence that the group fears losing control of the narrative.

The encouraging news, according to Gregg, is that attendance at Davos is declining as public scrutiny increases. Heads of government are avoiding the gathering because it has become a public relations liability. While conspiracy theories about the WEF can distract from the real problems, Gregg believes more people are waking up to the dangers of unelected elites claiming a mandate to reorganize the world.

“They basically believe in top-down approaches to solving problems. So it’s not just that they get together and talk about problems. It’s very clear that they want to see particular policies enacted, not just in particular countries, but in pretty much every country.”

Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow, American Institute for Economic Research

Protecting Colorado Taxpayers

Start listening at 17:10 – Hour 1

Wendy Warner and Rob Knuth, board members of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, join Kim to discuss the organization’s work monitoring state legislation. Founded in 1976, CUT is an all-volunteer organization that rates bills based on their impact on taxpayers and sends weekly reports to legislators and the public.

Warner, who has served on the board for 15 years, explains that CUT reads every bill and fiscal note before recommending votes. With 81 bills scheduled for hearing in a single week, legislators cannot possibly read everything themselves, making CUT’s analysis an essential resource. Knuth invites listeners to the organization’s legislative kickoff breakfast featuring State Representative Stephanie Lutt. The event provides an opportunity for like-minded conservatives to connect and learn about Republican strategies for curbing government overreach.

“We not only read the entire bill, we read all of the fiscal statement having to do with the bill, so that we are well aware of what are the nuances of these bills before we vote on them and recommend a vote to the legislators.”

Wendy Warner, Secretary, Colorado Union of Taxpayers

How Anti-Police Policies Created a Crime Crisis

Start listening at 59:27 – Hour 2

Yvonne Paez, an Army veteran, former police officer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Perspectives 101, joins Kim for an in-depth discussion on the systematic breakdown of law enforcement in America. Paez traces the problem through a sequence of deliberate policy choices: disrespect for officers, defunding departments, decriminalizing offenses, lax prosecution, and rare incarceration.

Drawing on her background growing up in Mexico, Paez warns that underpaid and disrespected police forces become susceptible to corruption and collusion with criminals. She watched American law enforcement officers who could retire early do so, while promising young officers abandoned careers they loved. The resulting recruitment crisis has forced departments to lower standards, potentially bringing in candidates who would never have been hired under normal circumstances. Paez notes that two types of people are attracted to police work: those who want to serve and protect, and those attracted to power. Good departments work hard to screen out the latter, but diminished applicant pools make that increasingly difficult.

Most chilling is Paez’s warning about cartels. As someone who grew up in a country where police regularly collude with drug organizations, she believes the conditions are ripening for similar corruption in America. The cartels are already here, she argues, passing time with human trafficking while watching Americans systematically destroy their “guard dogs.” She emphasizes that the breakdown was never really about race or police brutality, but about destabilizing American society by pitting everyone against everyone.

“Nobody wants those bad apples out more than we do. Because they make all police look bad. And they’re a danger to the citizenry and a liability to their departments.”

Yvonne Paez, Army Veteran and Former Police Officer