Comments on: ”Glen Beck Has Nazi Tourettes”: Video That Made Me Laugh Out Loud

By: Lalas

Lalas — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:43:15 +0000

LB is one of the funniest men ever. I almost peed myself watching this clip.

“They came for the Jews to kill them. They came for the banks and the car companies to give them $700B!”

By: George P

George P — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:49:05 +0000

As an example, the whole “War on Christmas” thing is a complete fabrication. What benefit is there in discussing this fiction, other than getting ignorant people worked up?

By: Rain

Rain — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:45:43 +0000

I’m with David B (#29)–even if he really ISN’T that serious about it, he is doing something dangerous by inciting those who ARE that dumb to do stupid, stupid things.

By: Winter Wallaby

Winter Wallaby — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:27:48 +0000

David B, there are lots of conservatives who like Stephen Colbert, and don’t know that he’s doing satire:

http://hij.sagepub.com/cgi/content/short/14/2/212

These public media figures bring up topics: decide for yourself. You can’t argue the position by mocking the person who said it.

Paperboy, the topics they bring up are often so ridiculous that mockery strikes me as a perfectly appropriate response. Not all opinions are worth treating seriously.

By: David B

David B — Tue, 18 May 2010 05:42:14 +0000

@Dysfunctional #22: I don’t know whether Beck tries to be over-the-top intentionally silly, but if he is it’s not working—he has a lot of people out there who take everything he says as gospel truth.

By: mkilby

mkilby — Tue, 18 May 2010 02:50:51 +0000

@ Bill - Thanks for fixing the font problem (18 + 19).

By: Cidu Bill

Cidu Bill — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:30:51 +0000

Actually, Mark, I have to take exception with part of that: quite a few people believed that the right to hold other people in slavery was an essential part of their own freedom.

By: Mark in Boston

Mark in Boston — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:58:58 +0000

Here’s Thomas Paine on freedom of the press:

“The writer of this remembers a remark made to him by Mr. Jefferson concerning the English Newspapers which at that time, 1787, while Mr. Jefferson was Minister at Paris, were most vulgarly abusive. The remark applies with equal force to the Federal papers of America. The remark was, that ‘the licentiousness of the press produces the same effect as the restraint of the press was intended to do. The restraint, said he, was to prevent things being told, and the licentiousness of the press prevents things being believed when they are told.’ We have in this state an evidence of the truth of this remark. The number of federal papers in the city and state of New-York are more than five to one to the number of replican papers, yet the majority of the elections go always against the federal papers, which is demonstrative evidence that the licentiousness of those papers are destitute of credit.”

Back at that time you would not have been able to find a single person who believed War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength. Now half of the people in the country appear to believe it. I can think of no other reason why Fox News has any credibility with anybody.

By: paperboy

paperboy — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:55:03 +0000

I can’t say if Beck, OReilly, Coulter and Limbaugh are all “just” showpersons, or if Al Sharpton and Michael Moore are pandering money-makers, but the key thing is not to focus on the messengers, but the message. These public media figures bring up topics: decide for yourself. You can’t argue the position by mocking the person who said it.

By: Cidu Bill

Cidu Bill — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:17:19 +0000

I never had any doubt that Beck, OReilly, Coulter and Limbaugh are all just showmen in it for the money and fame. These people seem to be too intelligent to believe some of the things they say.

Which is actually what makes Sarah Palin so interesting to me. I think she actually is a true believer, one of the “follower” class who accidentally got promoted to “leader,” and I don’t think she understands that her Fox News pals aren’t really on the same page she is.

Lest you think I’m just picking on conservatives here: Al Sharpton. I mean, come on.

Michael Moore I’m not sure about, especially as he’s become more (outwardly) radicalized over the years: did he drink the Kool-Aid, or is he just serving it?