On March 4th, 2009, Glenn Beck did one of his patented crazy-eyed-interviews with the rather elderly leader of the U.S. Communist Party, Sam Webb. I am not defending Webb or his organization, but I also realize that there is no economy in the world that is purely capitalistic or socialistic. All economies are mixed. So, while Beck uses the word Socialism as a terrible boogey man, an insult and a blasphemy that he assumes all Americans will recoil from in horror like it is the antithesis of peace and freedom, it really just means things like Social Security, Medicare, public schools and highways, and the Weekend (i.e. the 40 hour work week). Join me below the fold for more answers to Glenn "McCarthy" Beck and his many, many misconceptions.
As usual, Glenn is all over the map, so it can be hard to know which loony argument to shoot down first. For future diaries about Glenn, I am introducing a new tool called my Glenn Beck Crazy Cannon. It is handy for clearing a path through the minefield of craziness and stupidity he often surrounds himself with. So, I am going to fire away at just a few of Beck's stupidest points.
Shot 1: First, before getting too deep into the argument about Socialism, Webb quite correctly points out that true Socialism is really not on the table. Obama is not a Socialist and has not proposed anything that even remotely resembles the Republican's whacky and irresponsible charges that he wants a government controlled economy or to confiscate their wealth (however ill-gotten it probably is).
Shot 2: I want to answer Beck, Hannity and all the other wingnuts who have been foaming at the mouth lately asking people to name one place where Socialism has ever been successful. I have one for them: the U.S.A. That's right, like I said at the beginning, we are not a purely capitalist country. That unemployment insurance that millions of Americans are picking up right now is pure commie-loving, hammer and sickle waving Socialism: i.e. getting paid for not working. But, without it we'd have riots, starvation, and chaos. Basically we'd be back in the 19th Century. The robber barrons would own everything and you would probably owe your "soul to the company store," just like the old song says. Also, Britain, most of Europe, Canada, Japan, and pretty much every other industrialized DEMOCRACY is far more "Socialistic" than we are.
Shot 3: Beck asks Webb how much he gives to charity. Then he brags about how he gives 20% of his income to "charity." He demands to know what percentage of Webb's income he gives to charity and then accuses (not implies) but flat out accuses Webb of being a hypocrite if he does not give at least as high a percentage of his income to charity...Wow...Ok, besides wanting to slap Beck so hard in the face that I knock some of the stupid right out of him, this is a truly asinine comment. Beck is paid at least $10 MILLION per year, if you can freakin believe that! If I made $10 million, I would have all my needs met and then some. I would not have to worry about being cold or hungry. Someone who makes $10,000 per year probably cannot even meet his basic needs. So, you cannot ask him to donate 20% of his income just because Glenn Beck does. This does not make the poor person less compassionate, JUST POOR! In fact, Webb says that after 40 years with his organization, he is now the president and makes $26,000. Beck then starts lecturing Webb about how he, Beck, has "earned" his money. If Beck was picking on anyone except a poor old man, he probably would have earned a foot right up his well fed backside! Also, remember that Beck has previously claimed that he suddenly stopped all his drinking and meth-using a few years back and became a Mormon. So, probbly at least 10% of his income goes to the LDS church. The rest he probably donates to the Republican Party. That hardly makes him Mother Theresa.
Final Shot: Ok. The final shot I have to take at Beck before I literally want to reach through the TV and strangle him with one of his numerous chins relates to his use of the old ploy where someone compares his opponent to Hitler or the Nazis (Godwin's Law). He says the Nazis were Socialists and then tries to browbeat Webb into admitting the Nazis were called the "National Socialist Party." Obviously Beck does not understand the history or meaning of that term. No serious scholar regards the Nazis as Socialists, according to the modern meaning of the word. Webb instinctively knows Beck is full of crap, but the poor old guy cannot explain it very well with Beck's bullying interview style. The Nazi's main opponents were, guess who, the Socialists! Originally the Nazi's had some Socialist members and tried to appeal to working people (or at least pretended to be on the side of working people). But, they later clearly transitioned to extreme right wing capitalism, corporatism, and authoritarianism. Only a moron would say they were left wing instead of right wing. Why do you think they constantly railed against the menace of Bolshevism and eventually attacked the Soviet Union? Beck also throws in some hilariously confused babble blaming Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt (?), and Progressives for consumerism (?!!!) Man, I am going to need a MUCH bigger Crazy Cannon to keep up with Glenn in the future.