Matthew Rothschild: Glenn Beck and the Yearning for Fascism

[marmar]

from the Progressive:




Glenn Beck and the Yearning for Fascism
By Matthew Rothschild, September 4, 2010


Glenn Beck’s got me worried again about fascism in America.

His so-called restoring honor rally last weekend assumed that somehow America has been dishonored, and that is a classic trope of fascists.

Nor was I comforted by all talk from Beck about “America today begins to turn back to God.”

Nor was I comforted by the full-throated and repeated chants of “USA, USA.”

Nor by Sarah Palin having the gall to claim “we feel the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King,” this just 10 days after she told Dr. Laura to “reload,” after the talk show host said the N word 11 times in five minutes.

As if the rally wasn’t enough, Beck continued on his crusade during the week. Check this comment out: Beck said, “There are a lot of universities that are as dangerous with the indoctrination of the children as terrorists are in Iran or North Korea.” ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.progressive.org/wx090410.html

[Faygo Kid]

1. "Yearning for Fascism" - that's exactly right. Nails it about Beck.

I have been striving to understand his appeal. It's Mussolini. "Yearning for fascism" gets it precisely right.

[RufusTFirefly]

2. So, what do we do about it?

I'm reaching a point where reading articles like Rothschild's (and Hedges') leaves me feeling desperate and heartsick. Friends and family who receive excerpts or forwarded versions of these articles welcome them like a bad case of the clap.

Predictably, acquaintances on the right dismiss or ignore these articles. But more distressing is that an increasing number of like-minded acquaintances ignore them as well.

And on one level, why shouldn't they? Short of emigration or revolution, is there any foreseeable solution to this widening gyre? I used to feel that the dissemination of information was an important first step in rescuing America from its predicament. But these days I'm no longer sure.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

[pscot]

3. It will be very bad

if we lose the House. If we lose the Senate as well it will be a fucking disaster, for the County and our party.

[queenjane]

4. Reminiscent of 1930s Germany?

I've just discovered the writer Alan Furst. His genius is spy thrillers set in 1930s & early 1940s Europe. Thoroughly researched. Very atmospheric. His characters go about their lives while jingoistic patriotism, religious fanaticism, and military bloodthirst roil around them. As long as no one's bothering THEM at that moment, these denizens of a new fascistic world order are not so concerned. Reading about the creeping, almost background, persecution not only of Jews, but liberals, homosexuals, other minorities, is giving me a feeling of impending doom.

Beck and his minions envision an America of god-fearing, gun-toting, world dominating, morally correct Patriots who will take back "their" country from we wretched gay-lovin', gun-hatin', book-readin', baby-killin', elitist lib'rals.

Just because the teabaggers are totally whacked doesn't mean they're not going to be elected, and unlike Democrats, they're not going to hem & haw & attempt to compromise with their adversaries.