Freaks and follies

Undoubtedly there's historical relevance to this plaque on a building in Amsterdam. But when I saw the gold and silver coins, it seemed an apt analogy for the greed and unethical behaviour too often seen in both government and business.

Mark Morford: How many hypocritical Republicans can dance on the head of a sex scandal?

Joe Wilson: Still lying, loudly.

The not-so-secret racism in France.

Another reason career diplomats - not political donors - should be ambassadors abroad.

Glenn Beck is a deeply-troubled man. Despite at least 62 advertisers abandoning his television program for Beck's outrageous false claims about President Obama, cynical Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch continues to support Beck. Now Beck is on a witch hunt for communists. And he claims the New Orleans levees were allowed to fail to cover up local corruption - or something like that. Hard to understand the logic behind his ridiculous ramblings.

Let's be clear: Beck's increasingly-paranoid and delusional rantings do not remotely resemble journalism. He sounds like an unbalanced, hysterical snake-oil salesman on the verge of a melt-down. Guess to Murdoch, the more theatrical the better, in terms of television ratings. (People can't seem to look away from trainwrecks).  But at what costs, both to Beck and his viewers? 

Beck and the misguided "teabaggers"

Update Sept. 12: From Time's James Poniewozik: The stated goal of a rally today in Washington, according to Beck, is to "bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States, or political parties. We were united as Americans..."

UPoniewozik doesn't think Beck's living up to that:

"...What he purportedly wants is to bring back our feeling of "unity." I remember that feeling. After 9/11, I remember hardcore liberal New Yorkers rallying behind Rudy Giuliani, saying nice things about President Bush when he spoke at the WTC ruins. I remember thousands of American flags being flown out of apartment and brownstone windows, not as political statements or in the you-better-prove-your-patriotism spirit of flag pins and Freedom Fries, but simply because we felt we Americans were all in this together.

"So since March, what has Glenn Beck been doing to re-establish that sense of nonpartisan national brotherhood? Calling President Obama a racist, declaring that the government was bringing fascism upon us, asking his fans to dig up dirt on political figures he doesn't like, and predicting civil-war-like uprisings. Because that's how you bring people together ....

"You want to bring back the feeling of national unity and civility, Glenn Beck? You could start by not using this tragedy as your personal political platform."

Hear, hear!

Comments

[Chris]

it's so wearying that 8 year old boys are allowed to say whatever they want and throw tantrums and cry over paranoid fantasies. I've been waiting so long for this phase of theirs to be over, but I'm becoming afraid that it's just going to go on and on.

[christina]

Seems like Hortefeux, needs some of those classes. I forget what they are called- the classes for idiots who say racist things behind doors, but forget and let the words, slip in public. : ) Wow!
: )

[MiddleAgedWomanBlogging]

And don't forget that Fox refuses to run Obama's speeches... So, those people do not get both sides of any story.

[jeanie]

Remember as a kid when you did something wrong or more likely, stupid, your mom would look at you and go "What is WRONG with you?!" That's how I feel whenever I see Glenn Beck. This whole thing makes me crazy -- a senator with no decorum (and an ungracious, obligatory apology); a faux journalist who is just another with his own agenda. It gets overwhelming and depressing.

[kris]

Wilson and Beck are thugs. It is so frustrating that anyone listens to them or supports them. I have never thought of Murdoch as an ethical man and this just adds to my disbelief that some people are fine with all this.