Mixed message: Beck spews violent rhetoric, but tells audience to reject violence (1 Viewer)

[hazlnut]

Mixed message: Beck spews violent rhetoric, but tells audience to reject violence

Glenn Beck routinely admonishes his audience to reject violence, but he himself has frequently spewed violent rhetoric. Recent incidents of violence that have been linked to rhetoric like Beck's call into question which message his audience is getting.


Rhetoric like Beck's has been linked to incidents of violence

Pittsburgh shooter thought government would ban guns. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a man who murdered three police officers responding to a domestic disturbance call thought that the government was going to ban guns and was a fan of the far-right conspiracy-theory website run by Alex Jones. Jones, who is described even by some conservatives as a "conspiracy freak" who appeals to "the tin foil hat crowd" and the neo-Nazis at Stormfront, had been mainstreamed by Fox News. Beck had echoed rhetoric like Jones', warning about an impending one world government, and continued -- even after the shooting -- to suggest that Obama will "take away your gun."

California shooter was reportedly going to attack one of Beck's favorite targets. A California man who opened fire on highway patrol officers who pulled him over reportedly told investigators that "his intention was to start a revolution by traveling to San Francisco and killing people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU." Beck has acknowledged that he played a role in "turn[ing] the light of day on" the Tides Foundation, a little-known organization he has frequently attacked on his Fox News show, suggestingthe gorup was "using failing capitalism to destroy it" and creating a "mass organization to seize power."

I know the far-righties hate MM, but I'm grateful that someone is documenting all this crap and keeping track of it. God forbid, when the next Oklahoma City happens, the FBI can't look back see where they got their marching orders and inspiration.

Note to Beck: People who are afraid don't hear the 'reject violence' part.

 

[TurtleDude]

sounds like the concept of free speech bothers you.

and nuts are nuts-not because they misinterpret something they hear

 

[Objective Voice]

sounds like the concept of free speech bothers you.

and nuts are nuts-not because they misinterpret something they hear

I'm so tired of people hiding behind "free speech" to protect these talking heads! If people who are listening to folks like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and a host of other right-wing talk radio jocks who repeat the same rhetorical "talking points" that do nothing but inject fear and increase the anxiety level of their listeners, then as far as I'm concerned they are culpable in any act of violence that can be linked to their message(s) of hate, fear and mistrust (of government).

Every since Obama got elected my concern has been that all these "innuendos", i.e., "Imam Obama, Muslim extremist, terrorist, alleged questionable associations, the Messiah, nationalization, socialism, Maxist, Nazism, taking away your libery, subserting the Constitution", that give the impression that this President is anti-American would lead someone to take matters into their own hands. It's one thing to inform people of policy changes or legislation that may have a negative impact on basic rights or may change the way they live. It's completely different to :spin: the discourse to such a degree that it enables people to do others harm for no justifiable reason.

 

[RightinNYC]

Not that this should be a surprise given everything ever published by MM, but the author is clearly a moron.

"Rhetoric like Beck's has been linked to incidents of violence"

1) Guy who killed people happened to like Alex Jones.
2) Alex Jones is (according to the idiots at MM) far-right.
3) Glenn Beck is far right.
4) Glenn Beck has said a few things that sound like a few things Alex Jones said.
5) Ergo, Glenn Beck is responsible for those deaths.

It takes a special kind of brain to think that makes any sense.

 

[RightinNYC]

I'm so tired of people hiding behind "free speech" to protect these talking heads! If people who are listening to folks like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and a host of other right-wing talk radio jocks who repeat the same rhetorical "talking points" that do nothing but inject fear and increase the anxiety level of their listeners, then as far as I'm concerned they are culpable in any act of violence that can be linked to their message(s) of hate, fear and mistrust (of government).

Every since Obama got elected my concern has been that all these "innuendos", i.e., "Imam Obama, Muslim extremist, terrorist, alleged questionable associations, the Messiah, nationalization, socialism, Maxist, Nazism, taking away your libery, subserting the Constitution", that give the impression that this President is anti-American would lead someone to take matters into their own hands. It's one thing to inform people of policy changes or legislation that may have a negative impact on basic rights or may change the way they live. It's completely different to :spin: the discourse to such a degree that it enables people to do others harm for no justifiable reason.

When people were calling for bush's death or labeling him a terrorist, murderer, war criminal, etc., were you just as concerned?

 

[Moot]

sounds like the concept of free speech bothers you.

and nuts are nuts-not because they misinterpret something they hear

So you wouldn't mind if Glenn Beck promoted Mein Kampf on his TV show?

"The great masses of the people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one." - Hitler

 

[Coronado]

So you wouldn't mind if Glenn Beck promoted Mein Kampf on his TV show?

"The great masses of the people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one." - Hitler

In only six posts, too. That must be some sort of record! :sarcasticclap

EDIT: Mein Kampf is tedious and boring, especially if one's unfamiliar with the politics of the Weimar Republic, by the way. I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Josie]

Oh Good Lord. :doh

 

[MaggieD]

I'm so tired of people hiding behind "free speech" to protect these talking heads! If people who are listening to folks like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and a host of other right-wing talk radio jocks who repeat the same rhetorical "talking points" that do nothing but inject fear and increase the anxiety level of their listeners, then as far as I'm concerned they are culpable in any act of violence that can be linked to their message(s) of hate, fear and mistrust (of government).
Every since Obama got elected my concern has been that all these "innuendos", i.e., "Imam Obama, Muslim extremist, terrorist, alleged questionable associations, the Messiah, nationalization, socialism, Maxist, Nazism, taking away your libery, subserting the Constitution", that give the impression that this President is anti-American would lead someone to take matters into their own hands. It's one thing to inform people of policy changes or legislation that may have a negative impact on basic rights or may change the way they live. It's completely different to :spin: the discourse to such a degree that it enables people to do others harm for no justifiable reason.

You must despise Obama's twenty-year association with Reverend Wright. Yes?

 

[RosieS]

I'm so tired of people hiding behind "free speech" to protect these talking heads! If people who are listening to folks like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and a host of other right-wing talk radio jocks who repeat the same rhetorical "talking points" that do nothing but inject fear and increase the anxiety level of their listeners, then as far as I'm concerned they are culpable in any act of violence that can be linked to their message(s) of hate, fear and mistrust (of government).

Every since Obama got elected my concern has been that all these "innuendos", i.e., "Imam Obama, Muslim extremist, terrorist, alleged questionable associations, the Messiah, nationalization, socialism, Maxist, Nazism, taking away your libery, subserting the Constitution", that give the impression that this President is anti-American would lead someone to take matters into their own hands. It's one thing to inform people of policy changes or legislation that may have a negative impact on basic rights or may change the way they live. It's completely different to :spin: the discourse to such a degree that it enables people to do others harm for no justifiable reason.

Well, as you can see, even in this thread, the crowded theater that you're not allowed to yell "FIRE!" in is getting to be standing room only.

Regards from Rosie

 

[1069]

Rights are lost- or at least restricted- when they are abused by idiots to the point that they interfere with the rights of others, and/or with the smooth functioning of society.
We're getting to that point.

 

[Moot]

In only six posts, too. That must be some sort of record! :sarcasticclap

EDIT: Mein Kampf is tedious and boring, especially if one's unfamiliar with the politics of the Weimar Republic, by the way. I wouldn't recommend it.

Yeah well, too bad there's not a Godwin Law for everytime someone brought up the Godwin Law. Especially when the discussion about a Nazi sympathizer who is instigating violence on his TV show.....

Now Glenn Beck loves American Nazi sympathizers: Promotes book by prominent Hitler advocate of the 1930s | Crooks and Liars

Kinda hard not to mention Nazi's when you're discussing a Nazi, isn't it?

 

[Coronado]

Yeah well, too bad there's not a Godwin Law for everytime someone brought up the Godwin Law.

Don't make idiotic comparisons to the Nazis and you wouldn't have to worry about it. :doh

 

[hazlnut]

sounds like the concept of free speech bothers you.

Why do you say that? I'm clearly bothered by irresponsible broadcasters.

and nuts are nuts-not because they misinterpret something they hear

Had John Hinkley never seen Taxi Driver...Had Timothy McVeigh never read the Turner Diaries... We can only speculate.

However, fueling fear and paranoia for partisan gains is a dangerous practice. That's the point Beck apologists don't get.

 

[Moot]

Don't make idiotic comparisons to the Nazis and you wouldn't have to worry about it. :doh

Don't be so quick on the draw and you wouldn't have to keep making a fool of yourself invoking Godwin's Law. Stormfront are some of Glenn Becks' biggest fans.....

Thor357, a Stormfront sustaining member who has posted on the site more than 3,500 times, had this to say: "Glenn Beck and Alex Jones [a controversial conservative media figure who believes 9/11 was an inside job] are the front line in the war of Ideals we grapple with, they are far from perfect and are somewhat compromised. But every person in the last 2 years that I have introduced to the WN [White Nationalist] Philosophy have come largely from Alex Jones, Glen Beck and the Scriptures for America founder Pastor Pete Peters....
Glenn Beck's white nationalist fans (Salon on Stormfront) - Vanguard News Network Forum

"It's been a busy week for Glenn Beck watchers. On Monday, the Anti-Defamation League released a report warning of the paranoia and stridency that increasingly define the conservative grass roots. It echoed an April report issued by the Department of Homeland Security, but unlike the DHS report, the ADL named names, and fingered Beck as the figure most responsible for the unhinging of the right.

"Beck has acted as a 'fearmonger-in-chief,' raising anxiety about and distrust towards the government [which] if it continues to grow in intensity and scope, may result in an increase in anti-government extremists and the potential for a rise of violent anti-government acts," the ADL wrote....
Glenn Beck's white nationalist fans - Glenn Beck - Salon.com

 

[Coronado]

Don't be so quick on the draw and you wouldn't have to keep making a fool of yourself invoking Godwin's Law. Stormfront are some of Glenn Becks' biggest fans.....

What makes you think I give a **** who Beck's fans are?

Straw man. FAIL.

 

[hazlnut]

Don't be so quick on the draw and you wouldn't have to keep making a fool of yourself invoking Godwin's Law. Stormfront are some of Glenn Becks' biggest fans.....

That's pretty scary.

 

[Coronado]

That's pretty scary.

Just try to think about baseball. It'll help you last a little longer.

 

[Moot]

What makes you think I give a **** who Beck's fans are?

Straw man. FAIL.

Too bad there's not a Godwin's law for everytime someone used a strawman to call someone else a strawman. If you didn't care, then why did you post on this thread?

 

[Patria Antiqua]

There is no such thing as hiding behind free speech.

Free speech was enshrined in the Constitution specifically to protect unpopular speech. It's not a hidey-hole, it's an aegis.

 

[Moot]

Just try to think about baseball. It'll help you last a little longer.

Yeah, think about chasing balls all day long. Fetch, Coronodo, fetch.

PS: luv your sig. did you do that just for me?

 

[hazlnut]

There is no such thing as hiding behind free speech.

Free speech was enshrined in the Constitution specifically to protect unpopular speech. It's not a hidey-hole, it's an aegis.

But there is pushing the envelope...

 

[liblady]

In only six posts, too. That must be some sort of record! :sarcasticclap

EDIT: Mein Kampf is tedious and boring, especially if one's unfamiliar with the politics of the Weimar Republic, by the way. I wouldn't recommend it.

i don't know, i'm finding it pretty interesting.

 

[Coronado]

i don't know, i'm finding it pretty interesting.

I thought it was interesting for getting into his mind and trying to understand his motivations, but I definitely wouldn't call it a page turner by any means.

 

[Slartibartfast]

In only six posts, too. That must be some sort of record! :sarcasticclap

EDIT: Mein Kampf is tedious and boring, especially if one's unfamiliar with the politics of the Weimar Republic, by the way. I wouldn't recommend it.

Psh, if I can find the thread, I think there was on OP who godwinned herself.

However, I would like it if Beck could stick to principled, logical, and factual discussion of politics. His show is mostly innuendo about conspiracy theories from the episodes I have seen. He is good about not going out and saying what he is trying to transmit to his followers, so nobody can confront him. In my opinion, this makes him spineless because a real man would stand up for what crazy things he believes.