Build America Up–Don't Burn It To the Ground

I believe in building things—businesses, families, communities, and a growing faith in God. My dad’s book, Believe!, is all about this, and the older I get, the more I realize how right he was. That’s one of the reasons I felt it was important to re-release it for its 50th anniversary — not just to honor him, but to reintroduce these constructive, timeless beliefs to a new generation. Over the last 20 years or so, I’ve noticed fewer people anchored by those beliefs, which only reinforces how relevant and necessary they still are today. It’s not just that they’ve become a little pessimistic—there’s a lot of voices calling for the end of it all. This is heartbreaking. What changed, and what can we do to get people to embrace a positive and practical alternative?

At the end of 2025, I sat down with John Papola to discuss these issues on his podcast, Dad Saves America. We both agree that America needs saving, and we’re pretty sure about what needs to be done to ensure the country’s 250th anniversary becomes the beginning of a bright new era—one of incremental but meaningful changes building on one another, instead of stagnation and despair.

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