There are times I almost think
Nobody sure of what he absolutely know.
Everybody find confusion
In conclusion he concluded long ago,
And it puzzle me to learn
That tho' a man may be in doubt of what he know,
Very quickly he will fight,
He'll fight to prove that what he does not know is so!
...But-Is a puzzlement!
Lyrics from the musical "The King And I," sung by Yul Brynner as the King.
Sadly, with the first amendment sitting out there anyone speaking on cable television can say whatever they please. The right wing "talkers" have a large following on radio and television which is primarily made up of what is euphemistically referred to as "their base."
"They" have learned to entice their listeners to listen by being as outrageous as they wish to be. They certainly have a political agenda, and the outrageous statements that they make are seen to assist them in doing that. They are also in the business of making money and their audience just loves their comments, notwithstanding their truthfulness.
Erik Tarloff recently quoted Lyndon Johnson who told a story about a candidate for County Commissioner in East Texas who was falling far behind. He asks his campaign manager what he should do. "Well," his campaign manager advises, "why don't you say your opponent likes to fuck pigs?" The candidate protests, "But he doesn't, does he?" And the campaign manager answers, "No, but can you picture him denying it?"
A little "Googling" and this is what I found out about Glen Beck, and his "bona fides."
Raised a Roman Catholic, he graduated from high school in Bellingham, Washington in 1982. Several years later, he took a single theology class in a special program for non-traditional students at Yale University. He dropped out around the time of his divorce.
As a self-described recovering alcoholic and addict, he converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and speaks often of his religious beliefs and conversion. "God stalked me!...He had a giant baptismal rifle," Beck said. "I thwarted him. I led people astray as much as I could, but he kept putting Mormons in my way."
Here is my particular "puzzlement."
Beck is very popular among "the you know who they are crowd" and attracts millions of viewers a day.
It is a given that Beck is entitled to say whatever he wishes to say, and his employers are entitled to air whatever he says. on radio and television.
Recently, he called the President of the United States a racist. I assume that this irresponsible accusation was heard by a few million listeners.
It would have been better for society in general had other media outlets not reported on his statement as it calls attention to the original slander and promulgates it to millions of others.
I wonder what would have happened had the media NOT given credibility to the "Swift Boaters" by engaging in the controversy and giving the wacko's involved air time to promulgate their lies.
When the "media" supports the "accusation" by repeating it, the political system of our nation is distorted.
This could be the lead-in to a cable "news" show.
"Tonight, we will discuss the issues concerning the candidate who has been accused of fucking pigs with our panel of experts, stay tuned, film at eleven."
Our system is great because of those giants of responsible journalism who regularly appear on Fox such as: Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Shepard Smith, Neil Cavuto and Glenn Beck. WOW! What a line up!