What I love is that someone recently said I was wrong to say that every part of the right wing message machine was trying to incite violence because Glenn Beck recently said people shouldn't use violence.

They seemed to forget that there's a pretty loud message saying otherwise for the other 59 minutes and 30 seconds, 5 nights a week, 50 weeks a year.

^ I said "every part" was an exaggeration, and it still is. There are people on the right denouncing violence and saying that demonizing the left is destructive to their goals, especially at the state level. I'd agree with "most" of the national message inciting fear and hate, but not "all".

I also said Beck was giving a mixed message (nothing new). He implies armed insurrection, but then explicitly warns against violence because "the left needs you to be violent". I suppose it depends on whether he remembers to take his meds on a particular day.

@Psychologic, that was you? Yeesh. Of course Beck says "please don't use violence" every now and then, otherwise it would be so obvious what he's doing that even the brain dead news media will start to take notice.

It's what amounts to progress in our society. A century ago you could lynch black people, and people would look the other way. About 50 years ago, you could spew violent rhetoric all you liked, and hardly anyone would say "that's not right". Now you at least have to pretend to disavow political violence, or you endanger your status amongst the media elite.

It doesn't mean you actually scale back on the incitement of violence, naturally. You can give your 55 minutes of hate, and then say "even though I'm sure these people want to enslave and kill you, and will stop at nothing to do it, I'd kindly ask you to please not use violence, because they'll just use it as propaganda to further their agenda".

The purpose of Beck's show is to make people afraid and angry, and suggest that Democrats are an existential threat to the country, to freedom, and to their lives themselves. Add in the specifically violent rhetoric outlined in this video, and you've got a real problem.

If you wanted to nitpick what I said as being a gross generalization, Glenn Beck should have never been who you raised up as someone trying to tamp down on the violent rhetoric. He seems to be the chief culprit, not some level headed voice of reason trying to cool down the rest of the party.

Why do they hate Pelosi so much anyway?

>> ^lampishthing:

Why do they hate Pelosi so much anyway?


Cuz she's not named "Newt," nor was she (to my knowledge) a wrestling coach (Hastert).

The first segment of this video (where Beck is in front the chalkboard with pictures of some founding fathers and Obama and company) is dishonestly edited to make it seem like Beck is suggesting using violence. If you watch the segment fully, he is saying that armed revolt is something to be avoided.

I am not a fan of Beck in the least, but it's not cool to twist people's words and selectively edit for a personal agenda.

^NetRunner:
Of course Beck says "please don't use violence" every now and then, otherwise it would be so obvious what he's doing that even the brain dead news media will start to take notice.


Ah, my mistake... I forgot that "every part" meant 85%.

Weren't you the one posting links to David Frum, or does he not count?

@Psychologic, David Frum is a fantastic counterexample (and the one I expected someone to raise when I made my initial comment). Yes, it was obviously hyperbole, and I'm sure that in a party as big as the Republican party is, you could dig until you found a reasonable person.

However, David Frum isn't actually employed by the Republican party anymore, nor is he particularly well known. He just lost his job at the conservative think tank he was working for, and it's pretty obvious that it was because of his recent criticisms of the Republican party's tactics. I interpret that as "he was too reasonable, so the Republicans severed ties with him".

I'm sure there are other reasonable retired Republicans, or former staff members, and present employees of conservative think tanks.

However, I will say that none of the Congressional leadership, none of the party leadership, and none of the media stars of the right are doing anything to tamp down the violent rhetoric. In fact, most of them seem to be trying to dial it up.

Mostly though, I thought that was wholly laughable that someone would hold up Glenn Beck as a voice of reason against the violence. Especially coming from someone who I have some respect for as a thoughtful and reasonable person!

^ In retrospect I should have used Shep Smith. =)

@Psychologic, Shep Smith is supposedly one of Fox's non-opinion straight news reporters!