Does Beck = MLK?

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Things are so polarized now that internal exposés will have no impact other than causing the accused to circle their wagons against the onslaught of liberals, God-haters, the MSM, ........

We're not liberals any more. We're Progressives.

I wonder if Mr. Beck read the portion of the Bible where Jesus instructs believers to pray in private. Please, please, please, quit using my religion to advance an unkind agenda!

Funny how right-wingers can be so bitter against the corporate media. I suppose if you convince all or your audience that the other media outlets are lying, they have to come to you for the "truth."

Regards,

D-Ray

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Funny how right-wingers can be so bitter against the corporate media. I suppose if you convince all or your audience that the other media outlets are lying, they have to come to you for the "truth."

Beyond the term MSM, Boss Limbaugh uses the term "State-Owned Media" as if the MSM were a political arm of the Democrats. What I don't get (among many other things) is if it were "state-owned," why did they criticize Dubya (when he "owned" it)? Their assertion about having a monopoly on the truth is troubling, to say the least.

[noonereal]

Rush said that America is not anti Muslim and as proof he offered the election of Obama.

and his audience shakes their heads in agreement, never even understanding how he just made them saps

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by noonereal

Rush said that America is not anti Muslim and as proof he offered the election of Obama.

and his audience shakes their heads in agreement, never even understanding how he just made them saps

Mega-dittos.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Mega-dittos.

That such a significant number of our fellow citizens can embrace the identity of being "Dittoheads" is a constant source of puzzlement and sadness to me.

John

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by Boreas

That such a significant number of our fellow citizens can embrace the identity of being "Dittoheads" is a constant source of puzzlement and sadness to me.

John

Blame it in part on the educational system failing to demand that the students master critical thinking. Blame the rest of it on the charlatans in talk radio.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Deczor]

Why does stuff like this only happen in the US and the middle east?
The only places I can think of (apart from france to a lesser degree in recent times) that have this whole flag/idol waving mantra going on are the united states and middle east states.

From the other side of the world it looks idiotic. Sorry, I don't mean to put anyone here down, but with due respect all countries that have fundamentalist christian and muslim populations and media need to sort themselves out before this gets too far out of control.

[Zeke]

Nationalism, exceptionalism, and fundamentalism are funny things: especially when entertwined...

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Deczor

Why does stuff like this only happen in the US and the middle east?
The only places I can think of (apart from france to a lesser degree in recent times) that have this whole flag/idol waving mantra going on are the united states and middle east states.

From the other side of the world it looks idiotic. Sorry, I don't mean to put anyone here down, but with due respect all countries that have fundamentalist christian and muslim populations and media need to sort themselves out before this gets too far out of control.

I don't feel put down but if certain folks who take their marching orders from our current crop of demagogues do I'm okay with that.

Seriously, though, we're primates. That means we evolved living in troops ruled by fairly autocratic and despotic alphas. It also means that we have a high degree of territoriality and a strong antipathy to outsiders, including those of our own species. As a result we're pretty hard wired for xenophobia and prejudice, especially when encouraged in that direction by charismatic figures.

It's our job as "evolved" primates to overcome the parts of our programming that work against us in our new environment. Trouble is we've mastered science and technology to such an extent that we can't evolve or adapt fast enough to keep up with the changes we ourselves have made and continue to make.

Oh, and welcome!

John

[d-ray657]

Dezcor, welcome and thanks for bringing in some perspective.

John, one thing about your post made me shudder. I had never really thought of Beck and Limaugh as charismatic figures, but I guess that is right. I recognized that Reagan had some charisma. Hearing Obama on the campaign trial, I thought his eloquence carried its own type of charisma. But Rush and Beck (and Palin)- to me they have as much charisma as Lucretia McEvil.

Regards,

D-Ray