Glenn Beck Recycles X-Files Plot to Spread Fear of Obama

FOX News personality, Glenn Beck, has been using his airtime to broadcast a right-wing conspiracy theory about the Obama administration setting up 'concentration camps,' as part of a secret plot to establish totalitarian rule. Curiously, Beck's criticism of President Obama's economic policies seems to have been ripped directly from the plot of FOX TV's past hit series The X-Files (1993-2002) and the films based on the series (1998, 2008).

While Beck claims he is not 100% certain that the camps exist, he has proclaimed repeatedly that the Obama administration's economic policies are pushing the country into "totalitarianism' and that he "cannot debunk" the existence of the camps, which are supposedly being set up under the auspice of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), but which Beck claims will be used soon for mass imprisonment of American citizens with right-leaning political views.

In a recent spot on FOX and friends, Beck claimed that he had conducted "research on" the so called concentration camps being built by the Obama WH as part of a conspiracy to establish totalitarian rule in America and the he could not "debunk them." According to Beck, "If you ave any fear that we might be heading toward a totalitarian state, look out. There is something happening in our country and it ain't good."

(Glenn Beck on Fox News)

Beck's conspiracy theory appears to be lifted directly from FOX Searchlight's 1998 movie The X-Files. In the film, a character named Alvin Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), warns FBI agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) about plans by FEMA to manufacture a federal emergency as a pretext for extending martial law, mass imprisonment, and totalitarian rule, thereby allowing a group of interplanetary aliens to take over the world.

(The X-Files Movie from 1998)

Rumors that FEMA has set up 'concentration camps' as part of a plot to take over America and the world flourished after the X-Files film, died down, and then resurfaced as the video site YouTube became more popular in 2006.

One video expounding on the X-Files theory of FEMA concentration camps, which was posted to YouTube in mid-2006, has been watched almost one million times. The theory Glenn Beck is pushing is a version of the X-Files plot adapted to support Beck's argument against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed recently by the Obama administration.

So far, no major news network has pointed out Beck's appropriation of the X-Files plot or his obvious use of them to spread fear of a totalitarian conspiracy under the guise of a critiquing President Obama's economic policies.

Crossposted from Frameshop.

Comments

[falstoffe]

The "Concentration Camps" is not a rumor. I refer to AR 210-35 on the US Army's Website:
http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r210_35.pdf

You can sum it up in 7 points:

CHAPTER 1:
1) The army will run civilian prison camps.
2) This reduces prison overcrowding and saves the army money

CHAPTER 2:
3) Prisoners will come from the US Penal Systems

CHAPTER 3:
4) Prisoners will conduct labor for the army
5) This labor will not be paid

CHAPTER 4:
6) Incidents such as riots will be handled by the Army
7) Any media interaction will be filtered through the Army

If anyone reads that and finds a different explanation, then by all means post it and make me feel better about what I just read. Then I will be more prone to listen to someone when they call Beck crazy.

[homovegetarian]

well, i'm crazy for even trying, but here goes:

1) please note the dates on the document, 1997 and 2005, to name a few. this is an old manual for a long-standing program

2) the program, and i am not agreeing or disagreeing with the ethics, is no different than any other program that has incarcerated people working. many people in america are in "private" prisons, working on phone banks, etc.

3) if you are comfortable with some business "profiting" from prisoners, why not have them offer to support to the military?

4) if people are rioting on an army base, who should handle the riot?

[Bdwyre]

I kept reading on various message boards about Obama taking away the rights of the people, concentration camps, that the US will be like Communist China. I couldn't figure out where these right wing whackos were coming up with this stuff - I mean, it's pretty far-fetched even for those clowns. Now I see - Beck and his ilk are throwing this stuff out there for all the crazies.

Beck, Rush and Hannity have to know that their listeners aren't the most stable bunch to come down the pike. They are playing with fire.

[busterbrownthefirst]

Oh for God's sake. It would be great if Glenn Beck were onto something. Let's lock him up first.

You know, under the Bush/Cheney regime, I was really wigged out by the proliferation of Blackwater troops all over the place, an entire shadow army for those two clowns. Then, just toward the end, there was also that announcement that an entire army brigade would be permanently stationed in the U.S. to help with, among other things, civil unrest. Combining actual facts produced a great conspiracy theory with some real meat on its bones.

By the way, the first X-Files movie was terrific--actually answered some questions. However, the most recent movie was absolutely awful. So at this point I'd recommend locking up Mulder and Scully with Beck, and let's lock them up in Gitmo so we really get some bang for the buck.

[Terypat]

I guess this is one of the nice things about living in a democracy -- you can go on TV and say things such as this (and be paid good money to boot!).

But I am relieved that it will be only the right-wingers being round up. It means I'm safe lol.

[Dianethegardener]

It appears that Glenn Beck is having a breakdown and Fox News is recording this to start a new reality show for television.
This was a rumor in 2006 under Bush.

I love how republicans pick and choose their info and then twist it around to make up whatever story they choose to fit the message they want.

[Deb413]

I just don't understand why Beck and his cohorts seem to want to scare everyone into fearing all democrats, as if they are demonic. It is so ridiculous; I'd laugh it it weren't so pitiful. How can trying to sabotage a financial recovery and creating false conspiracy theories be of benefit to anyone. Someone, somewhere must be gaining from this idiocy.

More than anything, this kind of garbage continues to be spewed from the pulpits of the churches across the South and other areas of well-meaning fundamentalist thought as if it were truth. People who choose to only read or listen to the likes of Glenn Beck do NOT get a well-balanced view of the world. They fervently believe that the lies they are being fed are truthful. That is just so very sad. It is almost impossible to get these people to listen to any facts because they are so convinced that prophecy is being fulfilled.

I think maybe we should look at the "messengers." If it looks like a rose, and smells like a rose, it is probably a rose. If it looks like a liar, and smells of distortion, it probably is far, far, far from the truth.

[Wombat]

Let's see if I understand this dastardly conspiracy correctly. The same FEMA that stumbled and bumbled its way throught New Orleans and totally botched Katrina recovery is suddenly this epitome of conspiratorial efficiency and perfection?? Right!!

[surfcitysteven]

Well, you see, Obama is rebuilding FEMA! Why else except to use it to take over the country? They are going to put us all in poorly constructed little trailers with fomaldahyde gas seeping out of the cheap wood paneling. And then we will vote for democrats! Oh the horror!

[mmgbizgirl]

Beck is like a straining rubber-band ready to pop.

Very Strange Man.

[surfcitysteven]

Fox is banking on it. Somewhere in the Fox building, there is a Faye Dunaway type that has put this clown on our TV knowing full well that the only reason people are watching and a lot of them at that , are watching because they are going to get to see something spectacular if they watch long enough. I am watching now, because I don't want to miss the incredible train wreck that surely will happen.

[hilts]

Glenn Beck is mentally incompetent and belongs in a straitjacket in a psych ward. Beck is a raving lunatic and his rhetoric is designed to spread fear and panic.

[jrkinsella]

I'm just waiting for him to start talking about Chemtrails: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory

Too bad Lou Dobbs has already cornered the market on the NAFTA highway and the Amero.

[nobillary1]

Geez; don't give him any ideas!

[rjmiller]

Don't worry, Beck is just trying to protect his precious bodily fluids from the threats of communism, women and fluoridated water.

[WilliamProc]

LOL!
Thanks for the StrangeLove reference!
Let's hope Beck doesn't do anything preverted, or he'll have to answer to CocaCola.

[Weirdwriter]

Thanks, guys, for the best laugh I've had in days!

All those rumors of Repubs "going Galt," maybe Mr.Beck has just gotten his migration plans confused...

[cnobody]

and you know the only reason Obama is allowing funding for stem cells is because he's going to clone himself and appoint himself to the supreme court.

[zizyphus]

Glen Beck is a tool of the far right. The camps didn't start with Obama.

They have been sounding the alarm about this for years. The 400 camps were built by Halliburton some time ago. There are probably many links about these camps, but here is one:

http://www.libertyforlife.com/jail-police/us_concentration_camps.htm

[Beachrunner]

This is just absurd. FEMA is NOT constructing "secret camps" to detain "right leaning" people.

There's no need to. The plan is to send them to Gitmo.

[fishgirl26]

Oh dear lord..wtf is wrong w/ this guy!!

[lostinNJ1]

His audience loves this stuff. He gets very good ratings. And salary @$10 mil per year x 5 yrs, although I don't know if this changed since his move to FOX. If anything, I bet it went higher. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/05/glenn-beck-resigns-radio_n_71123.html