Constitutional Foundations Against Fascism and Miss Ward’s Educational Excellence

On January 20, 2023, Kim examines constitutional safeguards against tyranny with Allen Thomas, who distinguishes genuine fascism from progressive language manipulation, then hears 94-year-old Colonel Bill Rutledge share how Miss Marguerite Ward transformed wartime students through demanding excellence despite physical disability.

Constitutional Protections Against Authoritarian Control

Start listening at 05:32 – Hour 1

Allen Thomas joins Kim to discuss his forthcoming essay titled Why We Should Not Fear Fascists, distinguishing between actual fascism and progressive redefinition weaponized against political opponents. Genuine fascism occurs when government exercises control through corporate collusion while maintaining the facade of private ownership, pointing to government coordination with Twitter to suppress speech as contemporary example differing from communism’s outright ownership. Progressives simply label anyone disagreeing with leftist ideology as fascist, illustrating how language manipulation advances authoritarian agendas. The discussion examines a quote from Henry Agard Wallace, who served as FDR’s vice president and ran as Progressive Party nominee in 1948, defining an American fascist as one who puts money and power ahead of human beings. Thomas interprets this as doublespeak designed to conflate free market capitalism with authoritarianism, undermining individual achievement by portraying it as threatening human welfare. Thomas emphasizes progressive infiltration spanning over 70 years systematically changing word definitions to sway people toward authoritarian thinking demonstrated during COVID tyranny. The segment explores Federalist Paper Number Six by Alexander Hamilton, warning against idle theories promising exemption from imperfections and weaknesses incident to society, rejecting utopian dreams of perfect wisdom. Thomas connects this to Marxist ideologies assuming human perfection, explaining how the Constitution acknowledges human nature’s gravitation toward power and evil, protecting people through structural limits rather than assuming governmental benevolence.

“There’s really two different definitions, right? There’s what an actual fascist is and there’s what the progressives want a fascist to be. The progressives define anybody that disagrees with them as fascist.”

— Allen Thomas, Author and Advocate

Excellence Through Adversity in Education

Start listening at 1:10:24 – Hour 2

Colonel Bill Rutledge examines the profound impact of an exceptional educator from his high school years in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Miss Marguerite Ward arrived spring 1943 during wartime teacher shortages, hired to teach Western civilization, American history, English grammar, literature, and civics. A St. Mary’s College graduate from the early 1930s, Ward taught despite being partially paralyzed from a spinal injection complication, using a wheelchair and a platform for resting when tired. Colonel Rutledge emphasizes Ward never exhibited victim mentality, demonstrating instead remarkable self-confidence and creativity inspiring students to look beyond physical limitations to capabilities and performance. Finding the library inadequate, Ward organized student fundraising through cake sales, using proceeds to purchase Encyclopedia Britannica, complete Shakespeare works, and representative classic authors. She required supplemental reading and book reports beyond textbooks, using essay examinations demanding written answers demonstrating comprehensive knowledge rather than fill-in-the-blank tests. Ward enriched curriculum by arranging University of Florida art displays, bringing RCA Red Label classical music records, and inviting community members with travel experiences to share knowledge germane to studies. When students complained about classmate Vernon sleeping during lecture, Ward declared Vernon would learn more asleep than complaining girls would awake, prophetically recognizing abilities that led Vernon to become a multimillionaire through shrimping and Gulf drilling despite never attending college. Colonel Rutledge notes that after nine years of college at six institutions, he never encountered any teacher comparable to Miss Ward, who instilled discernment about quality writing through disciplined instruction persisting throughout students’ lives.

“Ms. Ward was very asserting, and she was very self-confident. She would never use a physical disability as an excuse for anything. We never heard anything like that at all. She was a person who sought perfection and demanded the best out of anyone.”

— Colonel Bill Rutledge, Retired United States Air Force