Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Washington Post says "thousands," but that's deceptive. It was more like hundreds of thousands.
In any case, a very big number (for Beck, at least, not Sharpton).
I watched a fair amount of it online. Though I missed Palin's speech I'm sure that will be available to watch later (update: here it is). Pretty entertaining. Looked like people were having a good time on an excellent day. (Someone should tell Larussa to tuck his shirt in, though.) I keep wondering what a person would think had they been pumped full of the "Beck and the Tea Partiers are racists" business, and then gone down and watched and listened to this event. I would think that such a person, bearing an open mind, would have that mind fairly well blown and emerge pretty angry at those peddling lies about Beck et. al... (For the record, I don't believe there's any formal Tea Party association with this rally.)
I must say that though I have a healthy respect for religion in public life, and I acknowledge that there was a religious revival aspect to this event, and meaning absolutely no disrespect to our Christian friends, but I could have done with a few less blessings on behalf of everyone in the name of Jesus Christ. Once or twice, OK, but after a few more times you start to get that nagging feeling that "Maybe I don't belong here." At an event billed as a sort of all-purpose patriotic thing, a little more...ecumenical approach might be in order. This is much like Jewish communal events where, though the vast majority do not keep kosher, yet still dietary laws are observed out of respect for keeping the event appropriate for all. A little more respect on the part of some speakers that while professions of faith seemed to be welcome, they were not actually preaching inside their own churches, might have been in order.
I mean this as a nit, however. Imagine the consternation of the MSM, their subscribers dwindling, to see this huge turnout. The thrashing and slandering on the pages of the New York Times has already begun.
Home run, Beck.
Your nit well taken, Sol.
Maybe a whole more of rock and roll (and a lot less Jesus) next time? ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJaN0xrLOZE
As a small-a atheist and a small-l anarcho/capitalist/libertarian I agree with the above comment and nit about Jesus.
But I would rather see a bunch of avowed Xtian conservatives running the USSA in a manner they feel is consistent with founding principle than this current dirty bunch of lieing Progs.
As long as they leave me alone to think that God is a waste of time, and that moral behavior can indeed be consistent with atheism, how they spend their time, money and enthusiasm is none of my concern.
This legislating morality thing is simply bound to end badly, no matter if the Progs or SoCons run Congress. I believe Beck ( as a person who believes that one of the lost tribes of Judea ended up in western NY State and left big golden plates buried in the ground that only J. Smith could read) knows this.
That he can reconcile Mormon and libertarian thought is impressive.
I understand your point Solomon. However, part of the problem with Western Civilization these days is that Christians (and Christianity)have been driven from public life. This re-invigoration is good news for defenders of Western Civilization. This is the re-emergence of a healthy cultural expression/confidence. This country is still at least 80% Christian.
The problem is that you are used to Christianity being sidelined. When you listen to pre 68 political speeches, by the likes of JFK and FDR, you will quickly realize that this lack of Christian public expression since the 60s is an outlier. Christianity has been on the defensive.
This is good news for Western Civilization.
Beck is a scary right-wing extremist, and he would not hesitate to go after Jews if it filled his agenda. He brings out the worst of what this country is about because he does not respect anyone who does not conform to his way.
I don't agree with the way some Leftists approach the issue of Islam, but Beck's way will result in misery and suffering for all.
FWIW
Watched Restoring Honor program today on CSPAN. It was very good. Those that choose to read the Cliff Notes will not have the slightest idea what it was about. While the President gives away the Country, Beck tries to give hope. Thanks Glenn Beck, you would think in America there would a Beck on every street corner, shouting at the top of his or her lungs about how great America is. Strange that only one is standing tall. Come November this Country boy will be voting to remove every office holder. Vote them All Out.
I am really relieved to see that I am not the only person that felt like the dose of religion was too heavy-handed. I was considering going, but, as an atheist libertarian, am now very glad that I didn't. This event was billed as "Restoring Honor" but a more apt title would have been "Restoring God". I would have felt very unwelcome/uncomfortable at this event.
I like Beck when he's talking about current events and politics. I watch him every night, pretty much, when he's doing that, but I flip it off if he starts in on proselytizing. The notion that theism of some stripe is essential to saving the country is silly, and the implication I have seen people make that it is essential to being a good patriot is offensive. Even Glenn has mentioned socialism and atheism in the same breath. That might be true of some socialists, but not all atheists are socialists. I am the furthest possible thing from that.
We are fighting a true war here, against the rampant growth of statism. I would think we would want all the help from honest, well-meaning people we could get... not to shut people out just because they don't believe in god.
Just a quick note to the small-a atheists: I understand your misgivings at Beck's call to reintegrate God into the daily discourse of American life. But like it or not, that God focus, or at least a focus on a Higher Power (to borrow from the 12-steppers) was an important part of the foundation of this country.
And at the same time, atheists and agnostics have never really been shut out of the process. That world view hasn't exactly been celebrated, but that's nothing new. The key is, as dr kill says, that conservatives aren't going to try to force religion down anyone's throat (well, any more than the more zealous of the soul savers do today).
A celebration of doing the right thing, of acknowledging that there is something greater that the individual, that life requires shared community - that's not a bad thing.
I don't care for Glenn Beck at all. His face, his voice compel me to change channels.
I'd rather hear from Newt Gingrich, John Bolton, Rudy Guliani, Joe Lieberman, Dennis Miller than dumb-aleck Beck.
O'Reilly is also a jackass. All he does at the end of his show is push his coffee mugs, door mats, his book. Pretty lame.
Sol -
Yes, there were hundreds of thousands - let's say a HALF A MILLION - that sounds great huh?
So there were a half a million there today like there was a MILLION at the MILLION MAN MARCH...
i mean Louis Farakhan and Sharpton are liars so hey - than it's ok that Becks a complete fruitcake too....
I don't think Beck's a hater or an evil guy I think he is a dangerous demagogue though - and his playbook reads right out of the John Birch Society...
He talks about blood in the streets, the end of America etc... etc... and then wails about how "liberals are trying to scare you into this or that"........
He hangs out with Napolitano and Alex Jones who read out the paleo libertarian playbook which is anti-semitic conspiracy at its core - and the only way you could say it isn't ---- is like liberals trying to defend Jackson - and note no liberal will defend Farakhan while Jones has a huge following and Paul and buchanan are gaining popularity every day.... you think I'm exagerrating?
Go read Buchanan's magazine or check out Lew Rockwell's site it reads right out of the brown shirts playbook on Jews from 60+ years ago....
If you watch John Stewart, even if you protest he's an "upper east side LIBERAL" he harpoons the hell out of Beck's insanity that is so ridiculous Stewart is never short for material....
Sharpton and Jackson and Farakhan don't make Buchanan, Jones and Beck GOOD.... nor correct...
And Beck is ALL ABOUT theocracy - he talks about it every day..... his religion is his poliitcs...
In Texas the RELIGIOUS RIGHT school board wrote Jefferson out of the curriculum in favor of more right wing religious founders... IS THAT NOT RELIGIOUS RIGHT WACKO?
EscapeVeolocity
The problem is that you are used to Christianity being sidelined. When you listen to pre 68 political speeches, by the likes of JFK and FDR, you will quickly realize that this lack of Christian public expression since the 60s is an outlier. Christianity has been on the defensive.
Listen I get it the far left anti Xtianity nuts are bad - g-d out of the pledge - off currency - out of courthouses etc... I get it...
But I don't GIVE A SHIT if Barack Obama preys at a Church once a week or not - I don't care if he asked people to prey to g-d for help or not after the Gulf tragedy started -
LIKE FOX MORNING SHOW ENLESSLY PRADDLES ON ABOUT...
Gretchen Carlson saying "golly and I can't understand how he never asked our Lord to help those people down there or ask anyone to say a prayer for them as our President"....
That is the height of fing patronizing idiocy..... golly gee dawnt ya naw....
I care if he's a good president that's it -----
I also didn't care if Clinton, like virtually every powerful man in the last 2000 years - was getting blowjobs in the White House -
Sean Hannity (who I used to regularly listen to)
"I mean he's conducting gov't business while she's giving him oral pleasure under the desk... that's a national risk to this country - she could be passing secrets to the Russians".....
SCARE SCARE SCARE SCARE --------- ALL BULLSHIT...
Meanwhile of the Republicans with the loudest mouths chastising the "lack of morality in the White House" in Congress -
1) was caught trying to pick up a guy page in teh bathroom
2) Newt was cheating on his 2nd wife he just admitted at the same time the impeachment hearings were going on.
3) 3 others were already retired or kicked out of Congress for having affairs or sexually accosting their pages on the Hill.....
And btw - Are you kidding the words -
"our lord and savior" -
Christianity
Christman
etc...
were used all the time by W....
And I personally didn't have a problem with it -
I like W but don't tell me Xtianity needs a "revival"...
You can be a good spiritual person and be a centrist but also think -
A Don't ask don't tell is bullshit.
It's bullshit that a great soldier who risks his life for this country can and many have been dishonorably discharged for being Gay.
B The founders did profess separation of church and state and writing Thomas Jefferson - perhaps the greatest founder and most influential force on the Constitution - out of the curriculum so you can selectively promote John Calvin because he meets to your liking of history to school kids - IS RELIGIOUS RIGHT INSANITY...
C Stem Cell research may be controversial but should be funded and NO it's not the same thing as a late term abortion. There is a slope but that's not even on the fing slope...
D I don't need Gretchen Carlson, a Rhodes Scholar and concert violinist pretending to be a DUMB ASS Patty Homemaker blonde tell me how it's a 'chandra' how our President and Commander in Chief didn't ask anyone to say a prayer for the people in the Gulf... because that's what she always does...
E Just because someone is left of center or even progressive doesn't mean they're a "COMMUNIST PINKO" and against this country.
F You want to believe the Bible word for word - great but don't try and tell me the world isn't millions of years old and fossils and mountains and the Grand Canyon and dinosaurs were all in the last 10,000 years.... and that that should be taught in Science Class as an 'alternative'....
G And while I'm against raising taxes - letting Bush's own tax code expire - which is the way he set it up BY THE WAY - and rates return to what they were in the 90's which is lower than what they were under Ronald Reagan - does not mean turning this country into a Socialist State....
Glen is a natural born preacher and teacher. When he starts with the "fall on your knees and pray," I change the channel. This is his new intoxication, the great revival evangelist. I would advise him to do a ten day vipassana (Buddhist) meditation course. That wouldn't require him to become a Buddhist but he might return to planet Earth from his perch in the clouds over Mt. Zion. So far Beck has kept from getting a big head over his success, but the speaking for God stuff wears thin. That said, Beck is a national treasure. No one else has systematically exposed the progressive agenda and the utter corruption practiced by the totalitarian socialists. The ruling class hates him as much as they hate Sarah Palin. Good work, Glen.
To me, when you call something "Restoring Honor" and say your aim is to recognize veterans and soldiers, and then you have a 200-minute event that focuses overwhelmingly on Christianity and not restoring honor, really, you -are- forcing Christianity down people's throats. Well, you're trying. Thankfully, this is America, and we can change the channel or walk away. But I can tell you that I'd have been mightily peeved if I paid for a spot on a bus and trucked myself all the way down to DC only to find out I was going to a Christian revival.
We need to save the nation from statism. That mission does not, should not, require any particular religious creed. All people who believe in downsizing government to its Constitutional intent should be welcome.
#11 Gary Ogletree
That said, Beck is a national treasure. No one else has systematically exposed the progressive agenda and the utter corruption practiced by the totalitarian socialists.
The ruling class hates him as much as they hate Sarah Palin. Good work, Glen.
Just out of curiosity who are these 'totalitarian socialists'? PLEASE due tell....
And who is the "ruling class".............?
I see Fox News and Drudge getting more hits and having more power than virtually any liberal media outlet while still claiming to be the 'underdog'....
And Drudge and Fox read right out of the right wing Xtian playbook so please tell me....
I see Sarah Palin quit her job midway through so she could go on a nationwide populist talking point speaking tour and make tens of millions a year.... so tell me how that is "for the people"?
I'm just curious so who is the boogey man holding down "the people" supposedly represented by Fox News (as they tell us) - Sarah Palin and Glen Beck?
Beck is a fruitcake - an over emotional - contradictory - populist Christian Revivalist Evangelist - posing as a news commentator - his religion IS his politics - something we complain about Islam....
Palin is a talking points populist feeding red meat to the masses for millions.... anyone really want her to be President?
So just out of curiosity - who are the boogeymen?
Should the NY Times, a national treasure, go bankrupt and we only get our news from far left wackos and far right wackos who don't even try to be intelligent and provide depth and thinking...
I used to buy the Fox News talking point that NPR shouldn't be funded - but if I want to watch something - sure left wing as it is - that actually has in depth discussion and thinking involved NPR is just about it.
Fox News is "debate" for morons.... nothing in depth just a WWF talking points debate repeated over and over and over and over - after a few years if you still need and crave more of it - than you may as well just watch Jersey Shore and call that news... and btw - I like Jersey Shore - but I wouldn't listen to Snooki tell me Obama passed a tanning tax so they couldn't tan - and she's almost as intelligent as Gretchen Carlson preening and dumbing down as Patty Homemaker in the morning....
Mike
Should the NY Times, a national treasure, go bankrupt and we only get our news from far left wackos and far right wackos who don't even try to be intelligent and provide depth and thinking...
Well that pretty much sums up what I, out here an alien in the alien world, think of your NYT and IHT - a spectrum of wackos seeing themselves in print with omissions, distortions/spin and even lies.
As for the bogeymen well start with Soros. I'll leave the rest up to you.
He buys up our Brazilian petroleum company's shares and then gets his puppet to donate 2.5 billion to Petrobras.
By the way I believe he has reduced his equity holdings from some 25 billion to little more than 5 b. Some confidence he has in the situation he has helped create along the way.
Sol,
I don't know who wrote this but it has been doing the email rounds in Eastern Europe.
Cynic,
That was exactly what I was worrying about with regard to the country two years ago, but with the backlash, and the Tea Party and the crash of the far left, I'm feeling much better about the character of the electorate.
Cynic -
It's not "my NY Times or IHT" but nice straw man attempt there.
And compared to Fox News the NY Times is Albert Einstein.....
Also - while you publish so called emails wailing about the dumb electorate that would make Obama President - perhaps you should look at the IQ of the Texas School Board who is writing Thomas Jefferson out of the history books and wants to teach as an "alternative" in Science class the possibility that the dinosaurs, Grand Canyon, geological formations, and fossils all appeared in the last several thousand years and we just can't understand it all - because there is some divine power that just makes it so we can't understand it....
And intelligence? Glen Beck and Sarah Palin now that is commentary dished up particularly for the intelligent! I mean they actually say - oh all those University professors think they're smarter than us - and all that learning - lol.....
And I liked Bush - but if you're comparing intelligence and complete sentences its not even close....
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency."
Yep. Very likely, certainly arguably, the most credulous generation in the history of the U.S. However, we shall see whether or not that is confirmed.
If you're American then those are your rags.
I just suffer the outcome from their incitement.
And the so called emails are an East European opinion of America's sad state of affairs.
Just a little something I learned in my years on planet earth: for all the Albert Einsteins there would be nothing constructed without the job foreman.
Maybe that's too obtuse.
Coincidental?
Here's a post from Sultan Knish
The Media Loses Readers and Viewers to its Own Radicalism
Just something I didn't include in my previous comment, but if the NYT had been anything like a 'News' paper, not necessarily on Einstein's level, they would not have hidden what was taking place in Germany and maybe, just maybe the good citizens of the USA would have been enraged enough to get FDR to do the opposite of what his administration did, and save some of those poor souls locked in by the British "White Paper of 1939".
Not having met Beck and Palin I have no idea what they are like and certainly I will not let the MSM decide for me.
Anyway according to some bloggers it seems that some are getting the message and according to them it seems that Beck at least is getting some Americans to appraise their history in a new light and re-educate themselves about the Constitution and other important aspects regarding economics and civics.
The prayer here is "may it be in time".
David Letterman on Obama: He'll Have Plenty of Time for Vacations When His One Term is Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5KYlv05ftA
Hope For Change in the Oval Office