Opinion: What's the 'Overton Window' and Why Should You Care?

AOL News ^ | June 16, 2010 | Glenn Beck

[rightwingintelligentsia]

(June 15) -- If you aren't the least bit concerned about the health of America's freedoms, you are either a) in a multiyear-long drug induced coma, B) Sean Penn, or C) dead. And you've definitely never heard of Overton's Window.

The Overton Window is a political theory developed by the late Joseph Overton, a brilliant public policy strategist and ardent free-marketer. Overton observed that "when public policies in a given area (education, health care) are arranged from freest to least free, only a relatively narrow window of options will be considered politically acceptable."

The theory says the window will gradually move over time based on a variety of factors, including truth, facts, arguments, big events and misinformation, to name a few.

The window of what's becoming "acceptable" debate in America today has changed quite a bit from even just a few decades ago. In March 1950, Newsweek declared "socialism is on its last legs," and it was right. When your favorite political model routinely ends in societal collapse, it tends to dampen the mood. Fast forward through nearly six decades of socialists chipping away at capitalism, and in February 2009 Newsweek proudly declared "we're all socialists now."

How'd we get here? Let's take a look at the theory in practice.

[jongaltsr]

I purchased the audio book and had to listen to it twice to get the full scope of the plot.

It is part “Who is John Galt” in style and part Fahrenheit 451 in method of preserving the readings from our forefathers.

Everyone who wants to preserve this country should get this book (the audio book is quicker to get through but is still a long 8 hour read/listen)

Things that it points out is the interlopers who infiltrate and are there to help destroy the movement are the ones with the “Kill Niggers” “Jew Baby” “My rod is bigger than yours”, (etc) type “T” shirts and tattoos.

The application of these stereotypes shows the general public that the movement can not be trusted to Tea Party loons (which they are not) but what they want YOU to see us as. The Media concentrates on these slime balls and not on the good guys - the 99% that show up in pressed slacks a nice shirt and with clean cut demeanor, but determined “American” values.

The public if fed the (media produced vision) which does not look like the loyal, honest, good intentioned patriots but rather as the scum that rides along with the horrific “T” shirt racial slurs, the maggot infested looks, the scruffy, filthy beards and hair.

It is intentional and planned and we need to rid ourselves of these types and escort them from our events as soon as they show up. If we let them ride with us they will taint us.

Read the book and get ready to change how you present the current image the Tea Party movement has been labeled with.