"Millions of American voters believe the federal government should be required to provide things for the folks - education, healthcare, good jobs, financial security in old age, on and on. That runs counter to how America was established when our elected officials put their game plan into effect. Citizens would have basic freedoms to worship, vote, speak openly without being punished, assemble without interference, and pursue happiness within the framework of the law. Today the question of individual choice and the quest to succeed or fail on your own has almost been obliterated by politicians and judges who don't respect the concept of competition and the struggle to prosper. They are deceiving the American people into believing that their success and well-being will be almost assured by a giant nanny state, which is in a nation of 320 million people. Politicians deceive because it is an easy way to seduce voters unhappy with their circumstances. When Bernie Sanders tells Americans that the system is rigged against them, he destroys incentive. When Rand Paul tells Americans that they should be able to intoxicate themselves at will, he gives license to behavior that has destroyed people the world over. When Al Sharpton and his grievance lobby assert that black Americans are oppressed by a racist system bent on hurting them, he provides an excuse for a litany of apathetic and destructive behaviors. The fact is very few powerful people are willing to address vexing problems by telling the truth. Here's what the government owes us: Protection from foreign concerns who would harm us. Protection from criminals. A secure border whereby our immigration laws are enforced and respected. An infrastructure of mass transportation that is safe and efficient. Finally, it is the duty of those in power to foster a system that allows every American a truly fair shot at material and emotional success. That means schools with strong educational and disciplinary standards; subsidized benefits for the poor and infirm that are delivered responsibly with clear guidelines; also, protections in the workplace against companies that would violate labor laws and exploit powerless employees. We deserve honesty and responsible spending, not wasteful programs designed to secure votes. The big problem is that millions of Americans are so poorly educated and irresponsible they simply cannot compete in the free marketplace. So what are the power-seekers going to do about that? It is beyond disgraceful that powerful people look away from the real problem. It is all about personal responsibility and motivation, and who is preaching that message? The truth is that individual motivation is being destroyed by phony politicians seeking power by promising entitlements. Until that deep cultural flaw is exposed, until the phonies, race hustlers and corporate greed heads are called out, we will continue to see big lies spouted by deceivers and enabled by a gutless media. God help America!"

Charles Krauthammer joined The Factor with his evaluation of the Talking Points. "You're right that the Founders envisioned a society built on individual liberty and choice," Dr. K began, "but back then we were a small agricultural society. It was nothing like today's multi-cultural, multi-racial, continental, urbanized society. The country made a fundamental choice in the 1930s that we needed a newly-energetic and intrusive government. That's the choice we made, there is no going back, and now the question is whether we can at least keep the behemoth in check and put restrictions on the nanny state." Krauthammer was not optimistic that the nanny state and the education system will be transformed. "It's very hard for people to come out against the teacher unions, partly because they own the Democratic Party. And people get a lot of freebies from government and they believe they need the state to do things."

The Factor welcomed GOP hopeful Ted Cruz, whose likeability ratings have languished. "When everyone is attacking everyone else," Cruz said, "it drives everyone's negatives up. My response, as insults and personal attacks have flown, has been that I haven't responded in kind. My focus is on substance, so if Hillary engages in nasty attacks I intend to talk about the economy. And it's fair to say that the candidates running this cycle are not typical - we have never had a socialist before. "Cruz reaffirmed his pledge to essentially dismantle the Internal Revenue Service. "When we abolish the IRS tax code, the entity that is the IRS becomes a small office in the Treasury Department. This IRS is so corrupt and politicized."

A new survey indicates that only 6% have 'a great deal' of confidence in the mainstream media. Juan Williams and Katie Pavlich analyzed the findings. "People go to the media for factual information," Pavlich said, "and a lot of times the media gets it wrong, especially when the media has an agenda to push. Ferguson is an example. The other thing is that we see anchors like George Stephanopoulos who don't disclose their conflicts of interest." Williams pointed out that one side is far more skeptical than the other. "People value accuracy and they want to know that you are giving them the latest information. Conservative Republicans have the greatest distrust of the media." The Factor lamented, "Most Americans don't believe they are being told the truth."

Hillary Clinton raised another $15-million over the weekend in California; supporters of Bernie Sanders accuse her of relying too much on huge donors. Brit Hume opined on the controversy. "One table cost $350,000 at this event," he reported, "but if people want to spend their money that way, they are free to do so. And Mrs. Clinton is free to accept the money. The argument made by Bernie Sanders that big money is buying our politicians has never been weaker. Look at Jeb Bush and all the money he raised, while Donald Trump has not spent very much money at all. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders is doing just fine without 'fat cat' donations."

Jesse Watters hit the streets again, this time to determine whether young people could recognize some of the most famous American entertainers in history. Some of them were actually unable to recognize Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and even Elvis Presley. On the more serious side of history, a few of the millennials couldn't identify photographs of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jimmy Carter, or Ronald Reagan. That was the bad news. The good news is that the young Americans also could not identify Jesse Watters, giving some reason for optimism.

Thomas Witherspoon, Raleigh, NC: "I am a black male and posted about a 16-year-old gang member shot dead by police. I asked why the protest when another 16-year-old, an honor student, was killed by a gang member. I was kicked out of the group for bashing blacks."

Eric Wallace, Napa, CA: "Bill, after hearing you report on the 900 shootings in Chicago so far this year, I found it interesting to note that the State Department has banned travel by its employees to Acapulco because there were 900 homicides last year."

Lawrence Deitz, Pasadena, CA: "Bill, it is sad to watch you, an Irish-Catholic conservative, spin a fantasy that women decide to have abortions because of a migraine or because a man left them."

Fox Business anchor Gerri Willis has written a valuable investment book called 'Rich is Not a Four-Letter Word.' And for the youngsters, Fox News weather ace Janice Dean has penned another 'Freddy the Frogcaster' book, this one dealing with tornadoes.