Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?

Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?

www.time.com

By David Von Drehle Thursday, Sep. 17, 2009

On Sept. 12, a large crowd gathered in Washington to protest ... what? The goals of Congress and the Obama Administration, mainly — the cost, the scale, the perceived leftist intent. The crowd's agenda was wide-ranging, so it's hard to be more specific. "End the Fed," a sign read. A schoolboy's placard denounced "Obama's Nazi Youth Militia." Another poster declared, "We the People for Capitalism Not Socialism." If you get your information from liberal sources, the crowd numbered about 70,000, many of them greedy racists. If you get you

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is great publicity for Glenn Beck the entertainer, newsman and social commentator either way you look at this story, after all fame has it’s advantages.

I must confess I have never really watched Beck’s show though I have seen a handful of Youtube videos from segments of his shows.

Like all media personalities part of their appeal is their personality and news has become much less a journalistic endeavor in recent years than it is rather a sales endeavor. Having a personality goes a long way in sales and in part the title of the article hints at the potential dangers of a salesperson or spokesperson possibly being too good at their job.

Yet whether you like Beck or don’t like Beck there is one huge underlying problem with the premise behind this story and title, and it’s the same problem with much if not all of our government today. For some reason neither the government nor the media thinks American’s capable of thinking for themselves anymore or being able to legitimately say yes to no or anything.

If you say no to nationalized healthcare you are only saying no because you have been deceived by the wrong information, network, media personality and politicians. If you say yes to a tea party it’s because you have been deceived by the wrong information, network, media personality and politicians.

We seem to be loosing our G-d given, and Constitutional given right to decide things for ourselves, and the prevailing attitude in Media and the Washington is that if it weren’t for them we couldn’t decide a thing for ourselves and that some of us, but not all of us suffer from some form of insidious manipulation depending on whether you answer the question the right way, for the right media personality and politician or the wrong way for that media personality and politician.

The arrogance that the media is taking this has become a whole new level in elitism where they no longer even try to hide the fact that they consider us to stupid and too malleable to know better, and if it appears we don’t know better it’s not even our fault anymore. It’s a media personality’s, or politician’s, or political party’s fault.

Articles don’t just usher in the era where we are blatantly and unabashedly being told we are not capable of being responsible to frame our own intelligent choices independently they proclaim the fact that this new era of supposed citizenry stupidity and gullibility is here.

Thank goodness like everything else the government and media likes to tell us, it’s not our fault, it’s the other guys! In this particular case Glenn Beck.


www.time.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

To answer the question in the title..

Beck, in and of himself might not be bad for America, but the fact that so many people believe what he says and that they take him any more seriously than they do Stephen Colbert, now THAT IS Bad for America.

I will answer the question posed in the title with a few questions of my own: Does a fat baby fart? Is a frog's butt watertight? Does fifty pounds of flour make a BIG biscuit?

Beck, and all of the other partisan 'talking heads', are a symptom of a great illness our country is suffering from. Now, is there a cure? That's the REAL question....

I am not one for limiting one's freedom of speech, and I don't think that Glenn Beck is inherently bad but I wish they would have to provide a disclaimer or even better play his clip from the View. The one where he says he doesn't have to research or fact check and that it is his OPINION only, and most likely without the full story.

Between him and Limbaugh I am tired of having remind my grandparents and provide them with the real facts, maybe I should start sending them (Beck and Limbaugh) a bill as I have been forced to act as a de facto fact checker.

Glenn Beck: the pudgy, buzz-cut, weeping phenomenon of radio, TV and books. Our hot summer of political combat is turning toward an autumn of showdowns over some of the biggest public-policy initiatives in decades. The creamy notions of postpartisan cooperation — poured abundantly over Obama's presidential campaign a year ago — have curdled into suspicion and feelings of helplessness. Trust is a toxic asset, sitting valueless on the national books. Good faith is trading at pennies on the dollar. The old American mind-set that Richard Hofstadter famously called "the paranoid style" — the sense that Masons or the railroads or the Pope or the guys in black helicopters are in league to destroy the country — is aflame again, fanned from both right and left. Between the liberal fantasies about Brownshirts at town halls and the conservative concoctions of brainwashed children goose-stepping to school, you'd think the Palm in Washington had been replaced with a Munich beer hall.

An incredible example of the textbook left/right and us/them paradigm on display here in this article, where the side accusing the other side of being Nazi like, is accused of being Nazi like for having made the accusation.

If the press truly imagines it is intellectually leaps and bounds ahead of the public we surely are in deep trouble as a nation when this is how both sides come to rationalize the debate, for that matter any debate, by claiming that those who are debating against something in fact represent the very virtues and ideals more or less that they are debating against.

In more recent days much more balanced reporting seems to be evolving when it comes to the Tea Party movements where some mainstream reporters and commentators are saying that no, they aren’t actually partisan or reflect any one particular segment, political group or agenda other than frustration with big government, unrepresentative big government, and the gridlock in Washington except when it comes to spend big money we don’t have.

Still the constant temptation by both the left and the right to poorly portray these events and movements and agenda is mirrored in the media, that no longer tries to report so much on what is taking place, but drive what is taking place.

Definition of a Windjammer: The desperate and dying cries of a trapped turd.

Seems like a fitting word to describe publications like Time these days, as well. Their industry is in shambles, printed periodicals are hanging on by a thread and, within the next 10-15 years when our parents' generation (well, MY parents' generation at least... they are in their very late 60s) are gone then there will be virtually no signifigant sized group of computer unsavvy people left to buy magazines like Time or fishwraps like the New York Post because we'll all be getting our news and reading from electronic sources. So what do they do? They produce windjammer articles like this one, placing a very popular public figure on the cover and trying to capture people's attention in hopes they'll buy the issue. They did the same with Obama, placing him on the cover until that horse was completely exhausted and unable to ride anymore. They know both his supporters AND his haters will notice the article, so they run with it.

and no, Glenn is not bad for America (just like the current administration and negativity they are causing is good for Glenn.)

Want to sell some magazines? Put Glenn Beck on the cover! I guess they finally got tired of putting Mr. Obama on their cover.

newsbusters.org...

brings to seven the number of issues the magazine's cover has featured Obama just since November's election -- make that eight for the First Family if you add in June 1's genuflecting “The Meaning of Michelle.” Amongst the seven of President Obama: “Person of the Year” and Obama as FDR.

8 Time magazine covers in 11 months....yeah that's getting old....time for a fresh face I guess!

Remember it's "Time Magazine" (In partnership with CNN)

[edit on 17-9-2009 by RRconservative]

Here's some suggested reading for those who are honest in their inquiry as to who Glenn Beck is and where his newfound raison d'etre comes from:

Meet the man who changed Glenn Beck's life

whether all you people realize this or not, glenn beck may not be within norms, but he is slapping the american people in the face. he is giving them reasons to self educate. so is limbaugh. sure they may have some radical ways of thinking but they keep the stricke zone open and are the type of people we need to keep the government on its toes.

FACE IT!

Glenn Beck has done more for the truth movement and for the disempowerment of big government than any single person on this show can claim. while we all sit back and hide behind our keyboards, people out there like glenn beck, don imus, rush limbaugh, shaun hannity, and even the crazed alex jones are the real men of action against this tyranny. everyone is quick to scream an outrage about this country and never do a thing about it.

My opinion, while Glenn Beck does have some good things to say and wakes people up, more than liberal clueless mainstream media, Beck does have glaring faults. He becomes overly emotional, he hams it up big time! He gets peoples emotions flowing. Obviously by doing this, this makes FOX and himself more MONEY! Lou Dobbs presents a more level-headed sense to the debate than Beck. Less hostile in my opinion.

IMO, all this focus on Glen Beck is just another installment in what seems to be a never-ending attempt by liberals to silence their opposition - which they greatly fear.

These people can't refute, ignore, or even deal with what Beck and others like him say, so they attempt to demonize Beck and the others. Look at the liberals still going after Palin, for example, because they are still scared to death of her.

Sadly, just another feeble attempt at shooting the messenger when they can't handle the message.



[edit on 9/17/2009 by centurion1211]

Even though I do not agree with 100% of what Glenn Beck talks about, or his actions I will say this. The guy is awesome at waking people up and getting them fired up about things that normally they wouldn't take a second glance at. This is what I like about the guy. He has an undeniable way of getting people to pay attention, and this is exactly what this country needs.

I don't care if he is a little off, or his shows are a little corny. I have read most of the threads on this site and I will say this: It wouldn't matter if GOD himself sat up there and reported about whats happening someone would cry about it and claim that he doesn't properly represent them.

I give props to Glenn and his crew for doing what nobody else has done, and thats chase the news that matters to us all.

Originally posted by centurion1211
IMO, all this focus on Glen Beck is just another installment in what seems to be a never-ending attempt by liberals to silence their opposition - which they greatly fear.

These people can't refute, ignore, or even deal with what Beck and others like him say, so they attempt to demonize Beck and the others. Look at the liberals still going after Palin, for example, because they are still scared to death of her.

Sadly, just another feeble attempt at shooting the messenger when they can't handle the message.

[edit on 9/17/2009 by centurion1211]

Actually no, the liberals are not scared of death about Palin, more like making fun of her along with more than a few Independents and Republicans as well. She constantly brings good humor to the political show.

Originally posted by Stargate2012

Originally posted by centurion1211
IMO, all this focus on Glen Beck is just another installment in what seems to be a never-ending attempt by liberals to silence their opposition - which they greatly fear.

These people can't refute, ignore, or even deal with what Beck and others like him say, so they attempt to demonize Beck and the others. Look at the liberals still going after Palin, for example, because they are still scared to death of her.

Sadly, just another feeble attempt at shooting the messenger when they can't handle the message.

[edit on 9/17/2009 by centurion1211]

Actually no, the liberals are not scared of death about Palin, more like making fun of her along with more than a few Independents and Republicans as well. She constantly brings good humor to the political show.

Part of what political show? And your response misses my point entirely. It's the point about why you still even feel the need to "make fun of" Palin (or her family). Stick a fork in her, she's done.

Reality check for you: You do actually know that it was Tina Fey and not Palin that said, "I can see Russia from my house", right?

Just checking your facts ...

Originally posted by centurion1211
Part of what political show? And your response misses my point entirely. It's the point about why you still even feel the need to "make fun of" Palin (or her family). Stick a fork in her, she's done.

You do realize there are plenty of Republicans that don't care for her right? Palin supporters are like the fringe of the Republican party. I mean, she is still always out there. She puts herself out there. In the media, posting things on her facebook page, practically campaigning for 2012 even now! Even Bush realized immediately that she was inexperienced and even warned the GOP of the Palin pick.

She was no where in the ballpark for a VP selection. Now if McCain, his staff, and the GOP were smart, and still choose a woman for VP, they should have selected Meg Whitman.

In my opinion, if McCain would have chosen a conservative, highly successful business woman, and highly educated (two things Palin is not) like Meg Whitman then he likely would have been President right now than Obama. I was infuriated when I heard the choice and with the GOP. I felt like it was a crock of crap and ploy to try to win over Hillary supporters.


Mod Note: Trim Those Quotes - Please Review this link

[edit on 17-9-2009 by DontTreadOnMe]

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


To steal a bit from the late Bill Hicks Beck is just another fevered ego tainting our collective unconscious

I'm tired of movements with legitimate concerns being pulled wrongfully into the right-left illusion. These protests used to be non-partisan underground sort of protests from concerned Americans who disliked Bush just as much as they dislike Obama and for the same reasons and what happens: TPTB and the media do their best to turn it around into another worthless partisan issue that seeks only to divide us.

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

 

To steal a bit from the late Bill Hicks Beck is just another fevered ego tainting our collective unconscious

I'm tired of movements with legitimate concerns being pulled wrongfully into the right-left illusion. These protests used to be non-partisan underground sort of protests from concerned Americans who disliked Bush just as much as they dislike Obama and for the same reasons and what happens: TPTB and the media do their best to turn it around into another worthless partisan issue that seeks only to divide us.

Exactly friend, it's almost like when you show up in a court of law, if you can not afford an attorney one will be appointed for you! Of course the moment you allow that appointment the attorney for all official purposes becomes you, he just doesn't have to pay the fine or the time his subsequent actions place on you, and you are bound to all the Corporate Court's rules and procedures the moment you allow that attorney an officer of the court to officially represent you. Proving once again there is no such thing as a free lunch.

In this case its an entire grass roots political movement lacking proper legal representation in the eyes of the Corporate Media and the Politicians who are all pretty much Lawyers.

What a world. I wish the media would go back to broadcasting a half hour a day, spare us the details of Lacey and Anna Nicole and Michael and just report the facts of the hard news.

I of course would also like a pony for christmas and despite beign 45 and living in a studio apartment in the middle of a city, think I have a much better shot at the pony!

I'll tell you what I like about Beck, he's begging both sides to ditch the corruption and get back to what's right. He was there to criticize Bush too (admittedly he probably didn't go as far as he should have during that time).

The only problem with Washington politics is that the people aren't informed enough to keep their representatives under control. They can be as corrupt as they like, assuming the people that vote them in are willing to accept that. Unfortunately most people are doing just that, by keeping themselves in the dark. That's why I like Beck, he raises questions and points that get people to go "Huh. Maybe I should look that up."

On the other side, I sure hope there are people out there doing due diligence on Beck as well (then maybe another group on those people!).



As for plenty of Republicans not caring for Palin, that's absolutely true, and all of those Republicans are exactly the kind of people that shouldn't be calling themselves Republicans at all. Again, people need to wake up and stop watching SNL for their political views.

Proto, great thread, kudos. And to the majority of people that have posted thus far....read the thread instead of commenting on the damn headline. As has been displayed thus far there are people who take 10% of what is said and extrapolate the rest. America has seriously gone down since the invention of the internet. Headlines are more effective than the article. Did Beck instigate these turn outs? Maybe. I can tell you he wasn't the sole cause. WOW maybe people are actually upset? Wait according to others these are all card carrying memebers of the KKK. Stop being ignorant folks.Stop dividing yourselves along retarded party lines. When TSHTF you aren't going to ask the person beside you, "Are you a Rep or a Dem?" It is time to grow up and enter the realm acctually caring about this country.