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  Glenn Beck's Demagoguery, Right Wing Extremism, and Racism
At a time of 24-hour news and a proliferation of television and radio talk shows featuring hatemongers and demagogues like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck may stand out as the most unhinged and extremist of all as evidenced by his jihad against anyone to the left of his views, disadvantaged minorities, Muslims, Latino immigrants, and progressive change in some of his most outlandish comments, including:
-- calling Barack Obama a "racist (who) has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture; I don't know what it is....This guy is, I believe, a racist;"
-- calling Van Jones "an avowed, radical, revolutionary communist," then saying "Jones is the tip of the iceberg" as part of his over-the-top campaign against anyone less extremist than himself;
-- stating "The most used phrase in my administration if I were to be President would be 'What the hell do you mean we're out of missiles;' "
-- saying "We need to be the first ones in the recruitment office lining up to shoot the bad Muslims in the head....In 10 years, Muslims and Arabs will be looking through a razor wire fence at the West;"
-- telling Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison to "prove to me that you are not working with our enemies;"
-- advocating disposing of Guantanamo detainees by shooting them in the head;
-- accusing Al Gore of creating a new "Hitler youth" by promoting environmental awareness, and called for kicking California out of the union;
-- in 2003, telling listeners he was praying for a gruesome death for Democrat presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, and in 2005 saying he fantasized about strangling filmmaker Michael Moore;
-- characterizing Obama's new regulatory czar, Cass Sunstein, as a crazed animal rights activist who believes that rats matter more than people; and
-- in September 2005, expressing open "hate" toward Katrina victims, calling them "scumbags" for not waiting patiently for emergency aid at a time their lives were devastated, and the Bush administration was forcibly removing them to distant locations, then preventing them from returning so predatory developers could exploit their neighborhoods for profit. -- an alleged connection between undocumented Latinos and crime;
-- how they exploit social services and don't pay taxes;
-- the "reconquista" myth about a supposed Mexican plot to take over the US Southwest; and
-- an epidemic of Latino voter fraud. "It's time to wake up in this country. We are dealing with an illegal alien (read Latino) crime wave, and drug smuggling is just the beginning." He opened a special 2008 "Border Crisis" program saying: "America's border crisis. Rape, drugs, kidnapping, even murder. It is beginning to look a lot more like a border war....Every single illegal immigrant is guilty of a crime, every single one....Every undocumented worker (read Latino) is an illegal immigrant, a criminal and a drain on our dwindling resources." -- "I've got a quick message for illegal aliens if you happen to be watching; you better start packing your bags; and to the politicians in Washington who are soft on illegal immigration, start packing up your office, because when the terrorists strike, which they will, and when we find out that they're here illegally from some other country, we will be telling all of you to get the hell out;"
-- earlier he said "I told you about the five-part plan that I believe may lead to the end of the West as we know it; I called it my 'Perfect Storm;' one of the elements....is illegal immigration; it is still a great way for terrorists to come here and mess with us; but even if that doesn't happen....at the very least (they're) attacking our culture, and our way of life; they are not melting into our melting pot; they're here for the cash;" and
-- "I also know our country is on fire, and the fuel is illegal immigration; they (threaten) our national security;" they come for "three reasons: one, they're terrorists; two, they're escaping the law; or three, they're hungry (because) they can't make a living in their own dirtbag country." Joe McCarthy's Earlier Jihad Against the Left In the 1950s, Joe McCarthy's witch-hunts against alleged communists, those on the left, and Democrat administration and other "subversives" included Secretary of State Dean Acheson whom he called "a pompous diplomat in striped pants," General George Marshall when he was Secretary of State for being "soft on communism" and being "a man steeped in falsehood," and many others on his so-called "blacklist." In 1950, with no proof, he said he had a list of 205 known communists in the State Department, later reduced the number to 57, but said they were passing secret information to the Soviets. He claimed: "The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because the enemy has sent men to invade our shores, but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who had all the benefits that the wealthiest nation on earth has had to offer - the finest homes, the finest college educations, and the finest jobs in Government (and the private sector) we can give." "In this long, degrading travesty of the democratic process, McCarthy has shown himself to be evil and unmatched in malice." On December 2, 1954 the Senate censured him and took away his power base. Later ill with cirrhosis of the liver from years of abusive alcoholism, he died a broken man on May 2, 1957. Today, the term "McCarthyism" is synonymous with baseless malicious slander, unscrupulous fearmongering, vilifying the innocent, accusing them of disloyalty, and calling them terrorists, Islamofascists, illegal immigrants, and unpatriotic for supporting progressive change and ideas to the left of right wing views. McCarthysim Redux Through the Right Wing Media Nightly on Fox News, Glenn Beck delivers some of the worst of it to his estimated 2.3 million faithful and millions more on The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show aired by Premiere Radio Networks (a Clear Channel Communications subsidiary) throughout the country on over 300 stations, according to a Premiere Speakers Bureau promo about him stating that his program "is presently the third highest-rated national radio talk show among adults ages 25 - 54." It said that he debuted on CNN's Headline News in May 2006 "with his self-styled topical talk show and quickly soared in popularity." CNN at the time called it "an unconventional look at the news of the day featuring (Beck's) often amusing perspective on the top stories from world events and politics to pop culture and everyday hassles." In early January 2007, he also joined ABC News' Good Morning America as a regular contributor with its senior executive producer, Jim Murphy, saying: "Glenn is a leading commentator with a distinct voice. At times, he is the perfect guest for many of the talk topics we cover on morning news programs." "Glenn's conversation with millions of Americans weekly on The Glenn Beck Program....makes him a familiar voice in our culture. We salute his work, creativity, and humor, and congratulate him on his genuine recognition by our industry."
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