Glenn Beck

[nec13]

I watched Glenn Beck today and I think he is an amalgam of Tony Robbins and Jack Van Impe. "You have the power to change your world, but it won't matter because it will cease to exist within five years."

[buffcoat]

either way, I think that trying to censor the message of either because of a lunatic who acts as a reaction to something said on a cable talkshow is wrong and scary.

No one is disagreeing with your fundamental points, and no one has suggested anything about censoring anybody's message.  You are a lone Internet knight, fighting against a fully imaginary left-wing, news-channel-unquestioning FOT dragon.

[Andy]

either way, I think that trying to censor the message of either because of a lunatic who acts as a reaction to something said on a cable talkshow is wrong and scary.

No one is disagreeing with your fundamental points, and no one has suggested anything about censoring anybody's message.  You are a lone Internet knight, fighting against a fully imaginary left-wing, news-channel-unquestioning FOT dragon.

So what was your point in bringing up Tim McVeigh?  I assumed you were saying that the type of message that Glenn Beck is pushing is dangerous because it could lead to similar results, but I could be mistaken.

[Sarah]

did I use that semicolon correctly?

Yes.

also, my parents have a cat named Lothar.

Why?  I mean, is there any significance to the choice of name?

P.S.  Glen Beck is a very bad actor.  And he mentioned Brewer, Maine, which is odd (most people reference Bangor--guess he's just a rebel).

[buffcoat]

either way, I think that trying to censor the message of either because of a lunatic who acts as a reaction to something said on a cable talkshow is wrong and scary.

No one is disagreeing with your fundamental points, and no one has suggested anything about censoring anybody's message.  You are a lone Internet knight, fighting against a fully imaginary left-wing, news-channel-unquestioning FOT dragon.

So what was your point in bringing up Tim McVeigh?  I assumed you were saying that the type of message that Glenn Beck is pushing is dangerous because it could lead to similar results, but I could be mistaken.

One can believe that the type of message being pushed is dangerous without being in favor of censoring anything.  All sorts of things are dangerous - I'd rather open up legality of some that are now banned than ban things that are now legal.

My point was for people to be aware that there was a rising tide of resentment being fueled by the Glenn Becks of the world, that's all.  I think part of America's problems right now stem from the fact that we always want to "do something" about those things we don't like and think aren't fun.

[yesno]

I think part of America's problems right now stem from the fact that we always want to "do something" about those things we don't like and think aren't fun.

America's biggest problem is that it doesn't want to win.  I mean, pinch-hitting Evan Longoria, not rescuing Roy Oswalt--all this is symptomatic of a manager that's trying to avoid hurt feelings by making All Star Game kinds of moves.  Meanwhile, the scrappy Asian teams pay attention to the fundamentals, wearing down an American side that just keeps trying to swing for the fences.

[Andy]

One can believe that the type of message being pushed is dangerous without being in favor of censoring anything.  All sorts of things are dangerous - I'd rather open up legality of some that are now banned than ban things that are now legal.

My point was for people to be aware that there was a rising tide of resentment being fueled by the Glenn Becks of the world, that's all.  I think part of America's problems right now stem from the fact that we always want to "do something" about those things we don't like and think aren't fun.

I don't know what we're arguing about.  I think we're kind of thinking the same way, but just coming at it from different directions.

Also, I wish the current crop of legislators would slow down for a second and breathe.  Way too much knee-jerk reaction, which opens us up to bad decisions that are then used to further the us vs. them political agendas

[buffcoat]

I don't know what we're arguing about.  I think we're kind of thinking the same way, but just coming at it from different directions.

Also, I wish the current crop of legislators would slow down for a second and breathe.  Way too much knee-jerk reaction, which opens us up to bad decisions that are then used to further the us vs. them political agendas

Nothing, really.  I just didn't like the rube comment.  Finding Glenn Beck's commentary disturbing and believing it might be inflammatory to people who might take action does not make one a rube, and also doesn't mean that one take everything Al Franken says as the absolute Gospel or that left-wingers aren't potentially as dangerous as right-wingers.  But that's all I was ever disagreeing with, I think.

I agree wholeheartedly with your second point.  Part of the whole founding of this country was that you couldn't a) go back and write laws to address past transgressions and b) declaring that people did something wrong and punishing them without passing laws or having a trial.

[dave from knoxville]

I've always had a certain sense that he was, deep down, the worst of the lot.  And I've spent a good amount of time watching and reading stuff by these folks.  Mostly to keep me from getting pissed off enough at the Democrats to vote Republican, and to make sure I know what I'm talking about when I say what jerks these people are.

Michael Savage?

[buffcoat]

I've always had a certain sense that he was, deep down, the worst of the lot.  And I've spent a good amount of time watching and reading stuff by these folks.  Mostly to keep me from getting pissed off enough at the Democrats to vote Republican, and to make sure I know what I'm talking about when I say what jerks these people are.

Michael Savage?

Michael Savage is much harder for a reasonably intelligent person not to dismiss out of hand.  It's like the difference between a grade-D British cat burglar (Beck) and a Hell's Angel with a 50-assault rap sheet.  The first is much more likely to get invited to tea at the rich old lady's house.

[Jon]

I miss the days of Glenn Beck being a reasonably sane guy who made sense on CNN, but he went off the deep end after about a month on the air and became a partisan hack. He really once was entertaining and not the fear-mongering doomsdayist he's become.

[nec13]

Say whatever you want about Glenn Beck, his ratings are off the charts. He's been there for two months and he's already the second highest rated program on Fox News Channel. So he will likely continue with the doomsaying for the foreseeable future.

[Martin]

I heard his Q rating is through the roof.

[nec13]

Better than Dick Cheney's Q rating.

[jbissell]

Say whatever you want about Glenn Beck, his ratings are off the charts. He's been there for two months and he's already the second highest rated program on Fox News Channel. So he will likely continue with the doomsaying for the foreseeable future.

My local movie theater is always advertising special screenings of his movies.  I'm always tempted to go but they're always at weird times like 5pm on a Wed.