Glenn Beck and Lincoln

I know we all have mixed feelings on Glenn Beck here, but I couldn't help myself when I came across an informative article at LewRockwell.com the other day by Thomas DiLorenzo, the guy who writes all the taboo-smashing books about Lincoln, and found his outlook on Glenn Beck interesting.  For one, he seemed to agree with Beck's usual chalkboard analyses of Obama's friends and friends' friend's and friends' friends' friends. I really don't care too much for those things:  I think they're just a type of fear mongering that doesn't really accomplish anything; knowing that Obama's staff is full of socialist sympathizers doesn't explain why socialism is bad and not compatible with freedom, it just says Obama likes socialism...duh.  He should, instead, stick to the Founding Fathers episodes, libertarian-based roots of America stuff, maybe plug another Hayek book or two, etc.

However, as DiLorenzo goes into the problems he has with Beck, I can't help but be in total agreement, not just about Beck, but about the Republican party -- if not the majority of contemporary America.  I speak, of course, of the idolatry of Lincoln in America.  Lincoln was the original neocon, and his "preservation of the union" and "freeing of the slaves" (regardless of Lincoln's expressed defense of the Corwin Amendment, that would have put slavery as irrevecobal in the Constitution) allows his historical character to be untarnishable.

Glenn Beck: Cut Military Spending and End the Wars

For anyone who missed it, the topic of yesterday's Glenn Beck Show was quite a shock. He advocated a non-interventionist foreign policy and a massive reduction in military spending. I'm usually just as skeptical of Beck as anyone else, but he really deserves credit for this.

Link to the full episode here.

Suspicious Of Glenn Beck?

I think the answer should be yes.  I think few would argue that he is a powerful voice right now and claims to be more libertarian every day.  But should all libertarians support him because of this apparent change of heart? 

No.  In my honest opinion, this is nothing more than a ploy for better ratings.  My logic?  Well -- and correct me if I'm wrong on this -- after everything he has said about the Republican party being broken, standing up against big government and progressivism, that the government should be limited to the Constitution, etc., and he has yet to mention Ron Paul or anyone like him (and even bashes former candidate Debra Medina, a firm libertarian).  It's dumbfounding that he could be a "libertarian" but conveniently leave out mentions of those with years of advocacy for liberty under their belts.

But perhaps, an advocate for Beck might say, he wants to focus on philosophy, not politicians.  That's a legitimate argument, but I would have to show you this (the important part is from 3:33 to 4:44):

NRO and Bill Bennet Slam Beck for Criticizing the GOP

Neocons are fuming  at the fact that even Glenn Beck admits that Republican party has a problem and may not be that much better then the Democrats. So how do they treat their ex-hero, who claims to be more libertarian each day?

Bennet writes:

Glenn is among the best talkers in the business of broadcast. I am not sure he’s a very good listener.

First, there is a good and strong tradition in alcohol and drug treatment that personal failings should not be extrapolated into the public sphere; that too often when this is done, conclusions are reached based on the wrong motives and, often, the wrong analysis. Glenn has made that mistake here and taken to our politics a cosmologizing of his own deficiencies. This is not a baseless criticism; they are his own deficiencies that he keeps publicly redounding to and analogizing to. It is wrong and he is wrong.

Stay classy, Bill.