Friday, October 23, 2009

Glenn Beck FTW

It's amazing how big Glenn Beck has become. His radio show was a success, but THAT well known. CNN brought him onto Headline News, but they screwed that show up by not utilizing him to his full potential. Then he goes to FNC and seemingly overnight becomes one of the most influential personalities in media. In just a few shorts months he's exposed Obama's Czars & advisers and helped bring ACORN to light. And those are just two examples. Beck is exactly what many Americans were looking for. Someone who doesn't sugarcoat the news and isn't afraid of the powers that be. Beck has become the kick in the ass others in the media have been needing for a long time.

16 comments:

Silke said...

Glenn Beck is an entertainer who preys on the anger, suspicions and fears of others. He is prone to spouting conspiracy theories and making connections where are there are none (remember “oligarhy”?).

This is a man who recently devoted an entire show to presenting both sides of the story about the H1N1 vaccine and concluded that your decision to get the vaccine should be based on “how much you trust your government.” Shouldn’t a decision like that be based on how much you trust your doctor - or better yet the evidence?

The man who is nostalgic for the unity this country experienced after 9/11 (yet criticized some of the 9/11 victim’s families for complaining too much) is fanning the flames of populist anti-government sentiment – and making millions doing it.

MadamRude said...

Funny how people view an issue so differently. I don't think GB is anti-government, but more like me - anti-corruption. And yes, he's rolling in dough, but then so is Michael Moore - who is just a big-fat liar.

Personally, GB is too dramatic for me - I love the charts, love how he goes deep into political issues and exposes corruption, but can do without superfluous rhetoric. Can't watch him daily. I still prefer Special Report with Bret Baier - especially the panel discussions.

Shimmy said...

But don't you think it's kinda strange that Glenn Beck NEVER talks anymore about all those dogs (Pit Bulls) he tortured and killed? Where did the story go? How did it disappear from the radar?

Christopher Lee said...

That's the great thing. We don't have to like or watch him. I love him and the bits he does. He does, however, expose the sad state of the news media today in that a man who does an entertainment show is breaking stores the NY Times or NBC should be doing.

Silke said...

When it comes to exposing the sad state of the news media I’ll take Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert over Glenn Beck any day. At least they get their facts correct and they manage to be funny at the same time.

SSG_E said...

Silke: Beck has actually debunked a few conspiracy theories. For example, he did a show with Popular Science where they investigated and debunked the FEMA camp conspiracy theory. You say he "preys on anger, suspicion, and fear" well what about the leftwing nuts at MSNBC, or any other media outlet? C'mon. Beck doesn't pretend to be a journalist. He is up front and honest about his point of view and simply presents the info and let's you decide. Stop reading what leftwing blogs (and some rightwing blogs who incidently dont like him either) say about him and try watching a few shows.

SSG_E said...

Shimmy: Are you smoking crack? Got som evidence for that charge? I am absolutely sure Beck's enemies would be reveling in that little factoid and plastering it all over the news if it were true.

Christopher Lee said...

Stewart and Colbert also show the problem. People have to turn to comedians for news because the actual news outlets aren't giving it to them.

Silke said...

SSG E said: Beck has actually debunked a few conspiracy theories. For example, he did a show with Popular Science where they investigated and debunked the FEMA camp conspiracy theory.

Wait, you’re giving Beck credit for debunking a myth he helped perpetuate in the first place? This is a man who initially said he could not debunk them and that "If you have any fear that we might be heading toward a totalitarian state, look out. There is something happening in our country and it ain't good."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm4hU4uaKt8

I’m glad he eventually corrected the record but that’s hardly a feather in his cap.

SSG_E said...

So he mentioned the FEMA camp story on Fox and Friends, so what? He couldn't debunk them immediately, and that is no surprise, but he eventually does once he had the whole story. He didn't perpetuate the the myth. It was already widespread. He drew attention to it and it ultimately led him to debunk it. This guy can't win. The extremist conspiracy kooks hate him because he won't take a lot of the really far out stuff seriously and then there are people on the left (and right) like you that think he is all about conspiracy theories. Most of Beck's most vitriolic and hateful critics come from the "one world government" and infowars.com crowd, and other such conspiracy theorists. They call him "a government shill". Hilarious considering how other people think he is anti-government. He is right that there is something happening in our country that isn't good. Why do you trust the government now? Why is it so hard to believe that the government is capable of such atrocity? Ever heard of Executive Order 9066? I am sure you have. Of course I do not believe in the FEMA camps thing. However, you cannot rule out the possibility of such tyranny in the future.

Silke said...

SSG E: So he mentioned the FEMA camp story on Fox and Friends, so what?

So what? He shouldn’t have mentioned them at all…especially if he didn’t have all the facts.

He is right that there is something happening in our country that isn't good.

He said this in the context of the FEMA camps. So no – he was not right. However, if he meant it in a general overall sense then it becomes a subjective matter of opinion. Beck makes these kinds of sweeping statements all the time (on the H1N1 vaccines: “The real question is, how much do you trust your government?”).

Why do you trust the government now? Why is it so hard to believe that the government is capable of such atrocity?

Trust has nothing to do with it. Evidence is the only thing that matters if you’re going to accuse an individual or an institution of anything – especially atrocities.

However, you cannot rule out the possibility of such tyranny in the future.

Nothing can ever be ruled out but that is not evidence of a current conspiracy. True skepticism is all about the evidence.

SSG_E said...

Why shouldn't he talk about whatever he wants? The 1st Amendment still exists doesn't it?
You think he shouldn't have mentioned the FEMA camp story, why because you said so?

Of course Beck makes sweeping and general statements. He has limited time to get his point across on the TV show so he speaks right to the heart of the matter. If you can't handle that level of candid honesty, then ignore it. He is not hurting anyone. He doesn't hide his point of view. You can take it or leave it.

Trust has everything to do with it! Our Republic is collapsing around us because of a severe lack of trust. If you cannot see it, it is because you refuse to see it. The evidence is all around you. I am not accusing the government of any atrocity for which there isn't already ample evidence. (ie FDR's concentration camps during WWII) I am simply saying that what has happened before will happen again.

Why must there be a conspiracy to bring about tyranny? I am not saying Obama has some grand scheme to seize control of America an declare himself emperor. No the alterations are incremental and largely unintentional. Obama might even believe his BS. He might even think that he is helping people right now even as he is destroying our economy and selling out our sovereignty. But the end result will be tyranny. We may continue on an incremental course where our downfall occurs over many years, like the Roman Republic. Or, someone will exploit our weakness and overthrow the system imposing their own rule, as Lenin and Hitler did. It is both arrogant and naive to think that we are immune to the turmoil of history. Mankind is a predictable animal and we are treading down the same path that led to the ruin of countless civilizations in the past.

Silke said...

SSG E: Why shouldn't he talk about whatever he wants? The 1st Amendment still exists doesn't it?

My preference that Glenn Beck should say things that are true has nothing to do with the federal government’s constraint regarding his freedom of speech.

You think he shouldn't have mentioned the FEMA camp story, why because you said so?

No, because it wasn’t true. Do you think he should he should say things that aren’t true?

I am simply saying that what has happened before will happen again.

Past events do not constitute evidence of a current conspiracy.

SSG_E said...

He did not say that the story was true. He only said that, at the time, he could not yet debunk them. Later he did debunk them. Did he bring attention to it? Yes. Nothing wrong with that. Should he have been more careful in how he presented this? Yes, definitely. He mentioned it because it got people to watch the show, not because he was trying to legitimize the theory. At the end of the day he is an entertainer first and he makes that very clear. Most of what Beck presents as fact is true and can be verified. It usually comes in the form of audio or video. What gets him in trouble is when he goes out on a limb and tries to piece things together. He must be somewhat close to the truth because he is definitely pissing off the right people. If he was just rambling on about nonsense no one would listen to him and the political elite would ignore him. Instead he has been targeted by many powerful groups on the left who want him to shut up.

Once again, I do not maintain that there is some kind of conspiracy. I really do not know how to make it any clearer. The actions of the federal gov't over the course of the last 100 years is about to culminate into the destruction of the Republic. Most of the damage being done is the result of the unintended consequences of various policy decisions and legislation stemming from both ends of the political spectrum in America. My concern is that now the course being forged is accelerating drastically. Human beings have certain flaws which very often results in repeated tragedies that are well documented throughout history. My point is only to say that we are moving in a very dangerous direction towards some very dark times. History does often repeat itself and I think we are about to get smacked in the face really hard by that fact.

Anonymous said...

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SSG_E said...

Hey Anonymous what was the point of your stupid link?