Posted on 02/21/2010 1:14:06 PM PST by Sergeant Tim
I was invited to be the opening speaker at Saturday's CPAC session. I had accepted but then, to my amazement, I learned that the John Birch Society would be one of many co-sponsors. This takes the big-tent idea many steps too far for me. So, I withdrew. Apparently, others were not so moved. That's fine. But it wasn't for me. Bill Buckley and Barry Goldwater, among others, chased the Birchers from the movement decades ago. And they're not a part of the movement. So, to give them a booth at CPAC was boneheaded.
I want to commend Bill Bennett for his wise piece this morning on the Corner. I agree with him.
I have no idea what philosophy Glenn Beck is promoting. And neither does he. It's incoherent. One day it's populist, the next it's libertarian bordering on anarchy, next it's conservative but not really, etc. And to what end? I believe he has announced that he is no longer going to endorse candidates because our problems are bigger than politics. Well, of course, our problems are not easily dissected into categories, but to reject politics is to reject the manner in which we try to organize ourselves. This is as old as Plato and Aristotle. Why would conservatives choose to surrender the political battlefield to our adversaries -- who are trashing this society -- when we must retake it in order to preserve our society? Philosophy, politics, culture, family, etc., are all of one. Edmund Burke, among others, wrote about it extensively, and far better that I possibly can. But all elements of the civil society require our defense. Besides, why preach such a strategy when conservatism is on the rise and the GOP is acting more responsibly?
Moreover, when he does discuss politics, which, ironically, is often, how can he claim today that there is no difference between the two parties when, but for the Republicans in Congress, government-run health care, cap-and-trade, card check, and a long list of other disastrous policies would already be law? The GOP is becoming more conservative thanks to the grass-roots movement and a political uprising across the country, which has even reached into New Jersey and Massachusetts. Why keep pretending otherwise? My only conclusion is that he is promoting a third party or some third way, which is counter-productive to defeating Obama and the Democrat Congress. These are perilous times and this kind of an approach will keep the statists in power for decades.
And what of his flirtations with Ron Paul's lunacy respecting America's supposed provocations with her enemies, including al-Qaeda? Why should such a fatal defect in thinking be ignored? Do we conservatives agree with this?
Finally, Beck is fond of congratulating himself for being the only or the first host to criticize George Bush's spending. This is demonstrably false. I not only attacked his spending, but the creation of the Homeland Security Department, the prescription drug add-on for Medicare, his "moderate" tax cuts, as well as his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, "comprehensive immigration reform," and so forth. And I was not alone -- Rush and Sean did the same, for example. And as someone who fought liberal Republicans in the trenches when campaigning for Reagan in 1976 and 1980, I don't need lectures from Beck, who was nowhere to be found, about big-spending Republicans. But this is not about me, or Beck, or Beck's past drunkenness (which he endlessly wears as some kind of badge of honor). It is about preserving our society for our children and grandchildren. Beck spent precious little time aiming fire at Obama-Pelosi-Reid in his speech, and it is they who are destroying our country.
On as a positive note, I am personally happy to see that Beck has cleaned up his public act -- as best I can tell, no more boiling fake frogs on TV or pretending to pour gasoline on someone -- and the rest of it. But I do think his speech, which contained nuggets of truth heard before and read elsewhere, including on Rush's show and in my book and many other books, may have distracted from some of the more compelling and coherent speeches at the event, including Marco Rubio's superb speech. I fear the media will see to this. I hope not.
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/24957/
GLENN: You know, I have to tell you, the answer is to get away from the two-party system because they are both progressives. Just progressive and progressive light. But they’re both progressives and they have been taking us down this road for over 100 years. And everyone says there’s no libertarians out there. There are libertarians out there, and you watch them.
criticizing a party that you are working inside to change is one thing - criticizing everyone and offering no alternative is different
What is the John Birch society and why is it so controversial? I thought it was anti communist?
Absolutely right, but they have to be replaced by someone, who can spend a couple of nights a week at various meetings, making things happen. If you don't see yourself as one of those 'someones' how will this happen?
Politics is work.
Skousen wrote some good stuff, and some really weird stuff.
One that I remember that I think was called “The Third Thousand Years” or something like that was really freakazoid material.
- - - - - - -
IIRC, Skousen also wrote a book on Christ returning and setting up a kingdom and reigning from the U.S. (Missouri) with the LDS prophet as His ‘right hand man’. As crazy as that sounds, it is Mormon theology.
Beck Voted for McCain
Palin pretends she didn’t publicly support the bailouts too when Beck rips McCain as ‘a progressive’
By David Neiwert Thursday Jan 14, 2010 9:00am
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/palin-pretends-she-didnt-publicly-su
Robert
Joe was the "have you no decency" guy.
Looking at the CPAC gathering, I didn’t see many Black faces or Oriental faces in the convention. Now, whose fault is that?
but evidently, joseph smith had a prophesy of a time of financial trouble when a mormon would arise to save us - on the beck thread, one poster said beck was fulfillment of that prophesy
- - - - - - -
It is called the “White Horse Prophesy” and I think Romney thinks he is the fulfillment of it and Idaho gubanatorial candidate (Rex Rammell) recently held a meeting for Mormon men on it.
More info found here:
http://www.ils.unc.edu/~unsworth/mormon/whitehorse.html
http://www.mrm.org/white-horse-prophecy
http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/whitehorseprophecy.htm
That's right, but Bennett does have a problem; its called hypocrisy.
I am a little lost at this comment. Either Levin does not realize Glenn Beck was age 12 in 1976, and age 16 in 1980, and therefore probably not in a position to be "in the trenches" of a political campaign in those years, or Levin knows this and is assuming his audience has no clue on Beck's age.
I have not heard Levin make such a critique of Sean Hannity, who was age 15 and 19, respectively, during those campaigns.
Does Beck have a libertarian bent? Yes. But I would add it was the western states libertarian wing of the Republican party which produced Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.
Is now the time to rally behind Republicans so we can win back the House and Senate? Yes, but people are skeptical. Most of these Republicans are the same ones who got drunk on big spending just a few years ago.
Beck has done a phenomenal job giving much of the public the history lesson the public schools failed to. "Revolutionary Holocaust" was one of the best summaries of first half 20th century totalitarianism ever presented.
Beck's criticism of McCain's admiration of Theodore Roosevelt is valid. Instead of picking on specific McCain policies, he hits at the heart of McCain's political philosophy. T.R. is always presented in American history as a heroic individualist (the Rough Riders, the Great White Fleet, etc.), and never as the original big government president. I read Edmund Morris' Theodore Rex ignorant of T.R.'s progressivism, and came away with the knowledge T.R. was more like a modern Democrat than a historic Republican.
Levin apparently thinks Beck is focusing on Republicans, and ignoring the Obama administration. Levin seems to forget Beck single-handedly sent Van Jones and Anita Dunn packing.
The close of Beck's CPAC speech, on Lazarus' "The New Colossus" may have been the best closer to a political speech I have ever heard.
We need Beck. We need Levin. Both are doing yeoman's work pointing out the problems both in the Obama administration and with certain Republicans. The difference is Levin is very good at pointing out the issues with current policies, and Beck is very good at putting these people into historical context.
My mistake.
You’re right that Beck goes overboard in saying there’s no difference between the parties but still, the Republicans are bringing that kind of criticism on themselves to the degree that they “play ball”. Now, lately they’ve been doing a good job of NOT playing ball, esp on MengeleCare, but do you really trust them? Do you really think that we can now say, “the Republicans are cured and won’t be abysmally stupid anymore”? No, we can’t say that. Even about the “good” ones.
Which is what makes what Beck is doing so important. Keeping the Republicans feet to the fire. Somebody’s got to do it.
What’s the alternative? Going back to voting for the “better of two evils”?
Forget that. Until Beck comes out and supports a 3rd party, I say: Go, Beck.
You need to get your facts straight.
They did indeed accuse Ike of malfeasance, but every bit of it has been proven beyond a shadow of doubt by the opening of the Soviet archives.
Calling out the facts is not nutty in my book.
I had never heard him on the radio when I read his book about Sprite, his beautiful dog that passed away. Great book, great passion for his loyal animal. I’ve been a bit shocked, when we got his program locally, to hear that he treats humans with far less decency.
I far prefer hearing the classy Rush take a call from a lib. Any parent knows that once you become the screaming one, you have lost face and control, and YOU look like the idiot. While I think I probably agree with most everything he says, I can’t bear to hear him take calls.
and now? what party is he supporting? has he ever been involved in politics other than as an observer?
I see you took a Left wing site to push to lie on Palin.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.