Glenn Beck himself is definitely smarter than most Americans, but he’s never let that get in the way of being a frothing lunatic.
What you mean is that you disagree with him on a lot of issues, for each one consider the possibility that it is you who is being a lunatic.
Let me be very clear, I’m not calling Beck a lunatic solely on grounds of his policy. His policy is radical and I disagree with it, but that isn’t my main piece of evidence, it’s the cherry on the top. This is my main evidence:
This president I think has exposed himself over and over again as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture....I’m not saying he doesn’t like white people, I’m saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist.
–on President Obama, July 28, 2009
I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. … No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out. Is this wrong? I stopped wearing my What Would Jesus—band—Do, and I’ve lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I’d kill Michael Moore,’ and then I’d see the little band: What Would Jesus Do? And then I’d realize, ‘Oh, you wouldn’t kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn’t choke him to death.’ And you know, well, I’m not sure.
–responding to the question “What would people do for $50 million?”, “The Glenn Beck Program,” May 17, 2005
Al Gore’s not going to be rounding up Jews and exterminating them. It is the same tactic, however. The goal is different. The goal is globalization...And you must silence all dissenting voices. That’s what Hitler did. That’s what Al Gore, the U.N., and everybody on the global warming bandwagon [are doing].
–”The Glenn Beck Program,” May 1, 2007
So here you have Barack Obama going in and spending the money on embryonic stem cell research. … Eugenics. In case you don’t know what Eugenics led us to: the Final Solution. A master race! A perfect person. … The stuff that we are facing is absolutely frightening.
–”The Glenn Beck Program,” March 9, 2009
I don’t think we came from monkeys. I think that’s ridiculous. I haven’t seen a half-monkey, half-person yet.
– May 18, 2010
They [Democrats in Congress] believe in communism. They believe and have called for a revolution. You’re going to have to shoot them in the head. But warning, they may shoot you.
– June 9, 2010
The most used phrase in my administration if I were to be President would be ’What the hell you mean we’re out of missiles?″
—Jan. 2009
I can’t be bothered writing up a summary of his conspiracy theories, but it’s worth googling his Caliphate theory. That is, google it if you don’t believe his other theory about how Google is part of a separate but equally evil conspiracy.
Wait, did I just get punk’d? Was this a serious reply that I responded to? I’m genuinely wondering, I’m not trying to make fun of you. Poe’s Law and all that.
Forgive me, I should have been more careful with the wording of my thesis.
Either Glenn Beck is actually unbalanced, or he is doing a fairly good job of pretending to be mad for ratings, in which case the character he plays is a crazy person. Either way, the “Glenn Beck” persona is still a beacon of the Tea Party and I think that is good evidence that the Tea Party is irrational.
I agree that Beck has a tendency to use let’s say “evocative rhetoric” that would certainly not pass muster on LW.
This president I think has exposed himself over and over again as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture....I’m not saying he doesn’t like white people, I’m saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist.
What exactly is so “lunatic” about this quote? Yes, the reasoning isn’t up to LW standards, but that’s true of nearly all reasoning outside LW.
I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. … No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out. Is this wrong? I stopped wearing my What Would Jesus—band—Do, and I’ve lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I’d kill Michael Moore,’ and then I’d see the little band: What Would Jesus Do? And then I’d realize, ‘Oh, you wouldn’t kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn’t choke him to death.’ And you know, well, I’m not sure.
He is by no means the only public personality to fantasize about killing a prominent member of the opposing political faction.
I don’t think we came from monkeys. I think that’s ridiculous. I haven’t seen a half-monkey, half-person yet.
I disagree with him, but you may want to read this before deciding that this is obviously “lunatic”.
I can’t be bothered writing up a summary of his conspiracy theories, but it’s worth googling his Caliphate theory.
Near as I can tell, this theory stripped of the flowery language boils down to the prediction that the Muslim spring uprising will result in theocratic Islamic governments that will attempt to impose Islamic theocracy on the rest of the world to the best of their abilities. Well, in light of recent events this prediction is looking increasingly probable.
Wait, did I just get punk’d? Was this a serious reply that I responded to? I’m genuinely wondering, I’m not trying to make fun of you. Poe’s Law and all that.
Let me guess, this is the first time you’ve been in a discussion with someone whose political views are vastly different from your own.
Nothing’s wrong with being radical. I’m radical myself on many issues. But his policy is radical and I do disagree with it, so it appears to me to be radically wrong. I am making the case that readers should agree with me on this point.
What exactly is so “lunatic” about this quote? Yes, the reasoning isn’t up to LW standards, but that’s true of nearly all reasoning outside LW.
I think the suggestion that the President has a deep-seated hatred for white people is ludicrous. If you have any serious evidence that Obama is concealing a burning emnity towards people of European descent then I am willing to weigh it against the evidence I have already seen to the contrary, but at the moment it seems so unlikely to be true that I struggle to imagine how a person could seriously believe it without suffering from some severe cognitive handicap. Thus: it seems like the sort of thing only a lunatic could believe.
He is by no means the only public personality to fantasize about killing a prominent member of the opposing political faction.
Sure, I’m certain plenty of people fantasize about killing their political opponents, but how many of them actually suggest on television that they would like to do so? I’ve seen Chuck Norris do it, I’ve seen Glenn Beck do it. I’m sure there are others, but again, I think that telling the nation about how you would enjoy staring into a man’s eyes as you choked the life out of him is not the sort of thing a sane, rational person would do with sincerely.
I disagree with him, but you may want to read this before deciding that this is obviously “lunatic”.
I agree that not believing in evolution doesn’t make him insane, just radically incorrect. Perhaps that particular quote was poor evidence for the “lunatic” thesis.
His Caliphate theory predicts that hardcore socialists and communists will work together with Muslims to overthrow Israel, capitalism, The West, and any other stable countries. He posits a conspiracy.
Let me guess, this is the first time you’ve been in a discussion with someone whose political views are vastly different from your own.
No, I often engage in political debate. I enjoy it! I am an active member of a minority political party, I attend a University full of intelligent people with varied opinions, I have a wide circle of friends from a range of backgrounds, many of whom disagree with me quite strongly. I have had this exact conversation dozens of times. The fact that you consider it a possibility that I have never encountered someone who disagreed with me is bizarre to me. My assumption was that you are in the same position. I asked if you were joking because I was surprised to find a Glenn Beck apologist in one of the most rational forums on the internet, and I didn’t want to look silly if it turned out you were being sarcastic.
I’ve seen Chuck Norris do it, I’ve seen Glenn Beck do it. I’m sure there are others
All the celebrities fantasizing about killing Bush.
His Caliphate theory predicts that hardcore socialists and communists will work together with Muslims to overthrow Israel, capitalism, The West, and any other stable countries.
Well, to a large extent hardcore socialists and communists are working together with Islamists.
I asked if you were joking because I was surprised to find a Glenn Beck apologist in one of the most rational forums on the internet
The fact that you were surprised to find a Tea Party supporter here is precisely why I wondered whether you’ve had any previous experience with people who aren’t on the left.
My assumption was that you are in the same position.
Given how dominant the left is at universities this a much less likely statement.
All the celebrities fantasizing about killing Bush.
I count a professed desire to assassinate Bush as a mark against the sanity of whoever professed it, too. More people doing it doesn’t make it saner.
The fact that you were surprised to find a Tea Party supporter here is precisely why I wondered whether you’ve had any previous experience with people who aren’t on the left.
It is my experience with people who aren’t on the left that made me surprised. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you will struggle to find people outside the US (from either side of politics) who don’t think that the Tea Party are wingnuts. That said, by the wonders of the internet I have spoken to a number of Tea Party supporters, as well as reading the work of Tea Party leaders. My experiences did not dispose me to expect to find a Tea Party supporter here.
My assumption was that you are in the same position.
Given how dominant the left is at universities this a much less likely statement.
What I meant was “I assumed you had had plenty of discussions with people who disagreed with you politically, too.” I’m not implying that I’ve changed that assumption, either, just that I was surprised you didn’t reciprocate it.
I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you will struggle to find people outside the US (from either side of politics) who don’t think that the Tea Party are wingnuts.
I’m perfectly aware of this, that’s why I considered you never having encountered a Tea Party supporter before a reasonable possibility.
Let me be very clear, I’m not calling Beck a lunatic solely on grounds of his policy. His policy is radical and I disagree with it, but that isn’t my main piece of evidence, it’s the cherry on the top. This is my main evidence:
–on President Obama, July 28, 2009
–responding to the question “What would people do for $50 million?”, “The Glenn Beck Program,” May 17, 2005
–”The Glenn Beck Program,” May 1, 2007
–”The Glenn Beck Program,” March 9, 2009
– May 18, 2010
– June 9, 2010
—Jan. 2009
I can’t be bothered writing up a summary of his conspiracy theories, but it’s worth googling his Caliphate theory. That is, google it if you don’t believe his other theory about how Google is part of a separate but equally evil conspiracy.
Wait, did I just get punk’d? Was this a serious reply that I responded to? I’m genuinely wondering, I’m not trying to make fun of you. Poe’s Law and all that.
Quotes on a tv show that achieves ratings based on sensationalism aren’t great evidence for the sanity of the main character.
Forgive me, I should have been more careful with the wording of my thesis.
Either Glenn Beck is actually unbalanced, or he is doing a fairly good job of pretending to be mad for ratings, in which case the character he plays is a crazy person. Either way, the “Glenn Beck” persona is still a beacon of the Tea Party and I think that is good evidence that the Tea Party is irrational.
What’s wrong with being “radical”?
I agree that Beck has a tendency to use let’s say “evocative rhetoric” that would certainly not pass muster on LW.
What exactly is so “lunatic” about this quote? Yes, the reasoning isn’t up to LW standards, but that’s true of nearly all reasoning outside LW.
He is by no means the only public personality to fantasize about killing a prominent member of the opposing political faction.
I disagree with him, but you may want to read this before deciding that this is obviously “lunatic”.
Near as I can tell, this theory stripped of the flowery language boils down to the prediction that the Muslim spring uprising will result in theocratic Islamic governments that will attempt to impose Islamic theocracy on the rest of the world to the best of their abilities. Well, in light of recent events this prediction is looking increasingly probable.
Let me guess, this is the first time you’ve been in a discussion with someone whose political views are vastly different from your own.
Nothing’s wrong with being radical. I’m radical myself on many issues. But his policy is radical and I do disagree with it, so it appears to me to be radically wrong. I am making the case that readers should agree with me on this point.
I think the suggestion that the President has a deep-seated hatred for white people is ludicrous. If you have any serious evidence that Obama is concealing a burning emnity towards people of European descent then I am willing to weigh it against the evidence I have already seen to the contrary, but at the moment it seems so unlikely to be true that I struggle to imagine how a person could seriously believe it without suffering from some severe cognitive handicap. Thus: it seems like the sort of thing only a lunatic could believe.
Sure, I’m certain plenty of people fantasize about killing their political opponents, but how many of them actually suggest on television that they would like to do so? I’ve seen Chuck Norris do it, I’ve seen Glenn Beck do it. I’m sure there are others, but again, I think that telling the nation about how you would enjoy staring into a man’s eyes as you choked the life out of him is not the sort of thing a sane, rational person would do with sincerely.
I agree that not believing in evolution doesn’t make him insane, just radically incorrect. Perhaps that particular quote was poor evidence for the “lunatic” thesis.
His Caliphate theory predicts that hardcore socialists and communists will work together with Muslims to overthrow Israel, capitalism, The West, and any other stable countries. He posits a conspiracy.
No, I often engage in political debate. I enjoy it! I am an active member of a minority political party, I attend a University full of intelligent people with varied opinions, I have a wide circle of friends from a range of backgrounds, many of whom disagree with me quite strongly. I have had this exact conversation dozens of times. The fact that you consider it a possibility that I have never encountered someone who disagreed with me is bizarre to me. My assumption was that you are in the same position. I asked if you were joking because I was surprised to find a Glenn Beck apologist in one of the most rational forums on the internet, and I didn’t want to look silly if it turned out you were being sarcastic.
All the celebrities fantasizing about killing Bush.
Well, to a large extent hardcore socialists and communists are working together with Islamists.
The fact that you were surprised to find a Tea Party supporter here is precisely why I wondered whether you’ve had any previous experience with people who aren’t on the left.
Given how dominant the left is at universities this a much less likely statement.
I count a professed desire to assassinate Bush as a mark against the sanity of whoever professed it, too. More people doing it doesn’t make it saner.
It is my experience with people who aren’t on the left that made me surprised. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you will struggle to find people outside the US (from either side of politics) who don’t think that the Tea Party are wingnuts. That said, by the wonders of the internet I have spoken to a number of Tea Party supporters, as well as reading the work of Tea Party leaders. My experiences did not dispose me to expect to find a Tea Party supporter here.
What I meant was “I assumed you had had plenty of discussions with people who disagreed with you politically, too.” I’m not implying that I’ve changed that assumption, either, just that I was surprised you didn’t reciprocate it.
I’m perfectly aware of this, that’s why I considered you never having encountered a Tea Party supporter before a reasonable possibility.