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Glenn Beck's Libertarian views need to be examined. AP Photo Evan Agostini
It is sometimes easy to be on offense and criticize someone else if you are not forced to defend your own viewpoints. Glenn Beck has certainly given a verbal beating to green jobs adviser Van Jones recently but little examination has been given to Beck's own viewpoints. As one of my readers "Joe the Commenter" pointed out Beck's political views actually make his appear to be the radical.
Beck describes himself as a "Libertarian Conservative" according to an interview with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The Libertarian Party received 0.40% of the vote in the 2008 Presidential election. They were actually beat by the extremely liberal Ralph Nader who earned 0.56% of the vote. Some may say the Libertarian vote is a result of the two-party system but even Ross Perot was able to garner 18.9% of the national vote as a third party candidate.
What is the cause of these low vote counts. Despite a very loyal and enthusiastic following of young people most reject the Libertarian beliefs once they find out the details of their proposals. Here is a sampling of such beliefs.
(1) The abolition of the income tax along with a law requiring a balanced budget (good luck with that)
(2) The end of all welfare (not cuts mind you just getting rid of all welfare)
(3) The end of the IRS (I am guessing the rich will just voluntarily pay taxes)
(4) The privatization of social security (ask Republicans how well that goes over with seniors)
(5) Getting rid of all national parks (say goodbye to Yellowstone)
(6) The end of all gun laws (imagine if Pittsburgh gym shooter with a fully automatic machine gun)
(7) The end of federal involvement in health care such as Medicare (now who is trying to kill off seniors)
(8) The legalization of illegal immigration (where is Lou Dobbs when you need him)
(9) and finally the legalization of ALL drugs not just marijuana (no commentary needed)
Compare those with currently-held beliefs held by Van Jones in the past and Van Jones actually seems fairly normal compared to Beck. Van Jones has renounced any belief in the 9/11 Truther conspiracy. In addition Van Jones has not exhibited any communist behaviors while in office as green jobs adviser. Beck on the other hand, if he is consistent with his statements, believes in getting rid of social security and Medicare while ridding ourselves of pesky things like drug and gun control laws.
Comments
From a Nexis search a few moments ago:
Total words about the Van Jones controversy in the New York Times: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy in the Washington Post: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on NBC Nightly News: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on ABC World News: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on CBS Evening News: 0.
9/5/09 UPDATE: The New York Times, ABC and NBC hold the line
After the Jones controversy reached a boiling point on Friday, the Washington Post published a story, "White House Says Little on Embattled Jones," on page A-3 of its Saturday edition. But the New York Times remained silent on the story.
Likewise, on Friday night the "CBS Evening News" reported the Jones matter, but ABC's "World News" and "NBC Nightly News" again failed to report the story.
www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/The-Van-Jones-non-feeding-non-frenzy-57271402.html
State Run Media like Venezue
I have listened and watched Glenn Beck for several weeks now. And I have heard him many times saying to prove him wrong on anything that he has been saying. Yet has any one spoke up with proof that Beck is wrong? I am sure most Americans wishes the he is wrong. I know that I do. I do have to say that Beck knows what he talks about when it comes to the Constitution and our Amendment Rights. I, even as a democrat am glad he is here. No on else has the backbone to tell us the things that we need to know.
If the article about Van Jones making an album, in 2003, is remotely true
Excerp - This is no youthful indiscretion, this is 2003. Will the ObamaMedia be able to ignore a Czar associated with lyrics like this:
Truther/Czar Jones himself at the 4:20 mark:
At this point. The end of the occupation. The right of return of the Palestinian people. These are critical dividing lines in human rights. We have to be here. No American would put up with an Israeli-style occupation of their hometown for 53 days let alone 54 years.....
And this paper ignores it - your no better than Rangel or Beck.................
#1 Beck is not in any way affiliated with the Libertarian Party, he is against the party system in general. It wouldn't bother me if he was affiliated with them.
#2 Even if he were, the LP is like a herd of cats, none of us follow the party lines, we all believe in individual choice and have differing opinions on all the parts of our platform.
#3 On your list of LP platform planks up there, the third one you list is wholly dependent on the first one being done. No income tax means no IRS.
#4 I won't argue with you on gun laws, because you come at the question with false assumptions.
#5 the rest of the points like medicare and such would be taken over by private companies. The free market would do it.
All very well and good, but you are putting words into Glen Beck's mouth. Better would have been to listen to him for a couple of days rather than pretend he is a radical libertarian. Not good journalism here.
I didn't know that Beck was pro-legalization. I find that a reasonable stance, actually, but it's clear that Beck wouldn't be too fond of legalization's sister, regulation - and it wouldn't be advisable to legalize the possession and use of all drugs without some form of regulation in place, if nothing else then for quality control. Of course, this is just one +1 point for Beck; he's still pretty deep in the hole for calling the President a racist.
Looks like you were completely wrong, Mr. Witt. Jones is out - good riddance.....says a lot about our president's judgment hiring him in the first place. Very poor judgment....
Dude, get your facts straight. Your half truths work on people with only half a brain.
Robert Moon is spamming The Activity Pit again: twi.cc/lAlq
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