Last week The Atlantic magazine released a report, complete with pictures, which revealed the Nazi reenactment past of Republican candidate Rich Iott. A few years ago Iott was part of a group called Wiking, which enjoyed dressing up as Nazi soldiers and reenacting battles in Easter Europe. Liberals immediately attacked Iott's past as a Nazi reeneactor, saying his actions ignored the atrocities committed by the German regime. Even House Minority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) condemned Iott's actions on national television. However, Glenn Beck was quick to come to the defense of Iott today on his radio show (audio to the left).
In his commentary Beck claimed that Iott was somehow being unfairly portrayed by the media. Beck compared Iott's actions to a someone playing "good cop bad cop" or "cowboys and Indians" and was dismissive of the notion that Iott's actions may have displayed a sympathy for Nazi ideology.
Of course, Beck does not give the same benefit of the doubt to progressives, who he frequently compares to the Nazi regime. Somehow, Beck felt justified in comparing Democrats to Nazis for their efforts in passing health care reform, but Iott does not deserve the same comparison for dressing up like a Nazi. If Iott was a Democrat, one must wonder whether Beck would have had the same perspective, or if instead his entire show would have been focused on the "secret Nazi past" of one progressive.
There is ample evidence that Iott's former group at the very least took a very romanticized view of Nazism. While expressly condemning the Nazi "master race" principles, the Wiking website also seemed to praise the soldiers who killed thousands of innocents in Eastern Europe,
"Nazi Germany had no problem in recruiting the multitudes of volunteers willing to lay down their lives to ensure a "New and Free Europe", free of the threat of Communism. National Socialism was seen by many in Holland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and other eastern European and Balkan countries as the protector of personal freedom and their very way of life, despite the true underlying totalitarian (and quite twisted, in most cases) nature of the movement. Regardless, thousands upon thousands of valiant men died defending their respective countries in the name of a better tomorrow. We salute these idealists; no matter how unsavory the Nazi government was, the front-line soldiers of the Waffen-SS (in particular the foreign volunteers) gave their lives for their loved ones and a basic desire to be free."
Beck has looked much deeper into the websites and past of other "progressive" organizations which he claims are part of a Nazi-style conspiracy, but for some reason Beck did not care to look into the website of the organization Iott joined just a few years ago.
Comments
"Nazi Germany had no problem in recruiting the multitudes of volunteers willing to lay down their lives to ensure a "New and Free Europe", free of the threat of Communism. "
How can that BE???? We've repeatedly been told that Nazi and Communist are synonyms for the same 'evil': Progressivism!
I am not to sure on this but did not Iott also provide pictures of himself in Civil War attire and a WW1 'doughboy' uniorm to the Atlantic but they chose only the Nazi one to publish? Sounds more like some one trying to fabricate a narrative here.
I say this is just like Hillary Clinton's camp putting out those pictures of Obama in African dress. This amounts to nothing more than a bad idea and further proof people can not trust the media to be fair. Until some one has some real proof this guy is a nazi lover it is just another desperate stab by Democrats to try and save their pathetic party.
The Democrat party needs to go away just as much as Nazi's Iott portrayed in his reenactments.
If someone dresses as a pirate does not mean they are a pirate.
In re-enactments, you need people on all side to play the roles. Not just the good guys.
More nonsense form the Desperation Party of Food stamps.
C'mon guys... the official stand of the organization:
"We salute these idealists; no matter how unsavory the Nazi government was, the front-line soldiers of the Waffen-SS (in particular the foreign volunteers) gave their lives for their loved ones and a basic desire to be free."
Have NONE of you ever cracked a history book? That statement alone demonstrates a serious case of denial, at best - and deliberate obfuscation of reality, at worst.
I think you are being overly simplistic if you simply think of anyone who fought for Germany during WW2 as monsters. We do know that there was genuine evil afoot and terrible atrocities took place at that time but regardless of what uniform they wore or what flag they held, men from all sides fought courageously and bravely for their respective countries.
I think some people are just so desperate to do anything to portray anyone on the right as a literal Nazi is so great they'll stretch it any way they can to get what they want. Too bad National Socialism has more in common with the liberal agenda than any true conservative.
Mick, there was a world of difference between common German soldiers and the foreign troops of the Waffen SS - as in serious war crimes.
This is hardly a unit one would want to "honor."
How many of the Wiking Division faced war crimes trials?
You guys going to re-eanct the Americal's My Lai Massacre this weekend?
wouldn't it be cool if these Wiking Division reenactors reenacted the war crime trials too?
I wonder if Glenn Beck would be cool with KKK reenactors reenacting a lynching as long as it was a good bonding experience for the man and his son?
Yup, absolutely desperate.
nope, we would be saying the exact same things if the democrats were about to get a landslide....a nazi is still a nazi and a witch is still a witch no matter which side is winning...desparation is thinking you are going to get a landslide then your candidates say they are witches and/or nazi reenactors.
And a man who attends a black supremacist church like the Rev Jeremiah Wrights for over 20-years is still a racist . And a man who backs a racist DOJ who will not prosecute black perps if the victims are white are still black racist POS.
walk a mile in a black person's shoes before you speak, ok? You might come to understand these peoples' point of view.
A man who starts hie political career in the home of a domestic terrorists is a terrorist supporter.
"walk a mile in black people's shoes" No thanks I'm not a whining racist parasite like the majority of those people.
Revolutionary war reenactment next week. Liberals will play the British.
I will be careful not to give candy to little girls in witch costumes this halloween to avoid the appearance of supporting witchcraft and I won't give candy to little boys in Frankenstein outfits to avoid appearing supportive of zombies. (sarcastic voice off)
Isn't this whole thing just a little stupid?
"Isn't this whole thing just a little stupid?"
Most of what Witt writes about is!
Right on Ryan-
Love him or Hate him BECKY is a cultural phenomenon after the successful execution of 8/28 and the overabundance of sharing information via his websites, shows, etc.
Not a Beckian yet but I admire his capabilities.
He is electric and the media is caught up in him.
A healthy discourse is very necessary.
The guy in the costume is a distasteful clown!
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