
Glenn Beck: Don’t Move to Canada. Talk to the Other Side - johnny313
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/11/opinion/glenn-beck-dont-move-to-canada-talk-to-the-other-side.html
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slackstation
From the article, Glenn Beck says:

> "Yet, I still go to church, sometimes with a gun."

I don't know why but, that somehow chills me to the core. As a former
religious person. I'm so glad I got out American Christianity. It feels
insane.

The rest of the article is actually quite sane and rational. I can be wrong
but, it reads as if Glenn Beck had a chance to see himself and calm down. He
realizes that his rhetoric got him nowhere. Obama wasn't as bad as he had
feared. Trump won't be as bad as people fear.

I find myself agreeing with Glenn Beck as we prepare for a Donald Trump
presidency. What a time to be alive.

-edited formatting for clarity

~~~
rhizome
He has a lot to answer for. He doesn't get a free pass on his past just for
spouting some redemption rhetoric.

~~~
Zikes
What does a non-free pass look like, then? How do we reconcile with the people
on the far end of the political spectrum?

~~~
justinschuh
A non-free pass would mean Beck actually took responsibility for his actions
and apologized rather than than attempt to excuse himself with false
equivalence.

Let's be clear, he baselessly demonized Obama's presidency while the man was
actively trying to reach across the aisle and even brought numerous
Republicans into his administration. Beck fed lies and hate to incite an angry
mob, and was a key player in the last eight years of the bitterest partisan
divide and obstruction that we've experienced in the modern era. And now he's
minimizing Trump's vile words and actions -- arguably a direct product of the
climate Beck helped create -- because somehow Beck's own insane apocalyptic
fantasies about Obama should normalize them? That is the furthest thing from
an apology. It's a gross insult to anyone familiar with the facts, a cynical
attempt to abdicate his personal responsibility, and attempts to mainstream
the worst of Trump's behavior.

No. What Glenn Beck is doing right now is just pandering to his own audience
that he was at risk of losing entirely if he didn't eventually fall in line
with Trump.

~~~
rhizome
Oh, but he did apologize. Three weeks ago:

[http://www.glennbeck.com/2016/10/19/glenn-apologizes-for-
bei...](http://www.glennbeck.com/2016/10/19/glenn-apologizes-for-being-a-
catastrophist-were-scaring-the-hell-out-of-the-children/)

~~~
justinschuh
I wonder whether you actually read the article you linked, because here's how
he tries to shift the blame and deny his own accountability:

>Now, I’ve got people on the left accusing me of creating Donald Trump. And
I’m like, “But I’m against Donald Trump. I warned against a guy like Donald
Trump.” Well, you created the conditions that grew Donald Trump. “No, I
didn’t. I think it was the government — both parties that weren’t listening to
the people, that the people got so frustrated they wanted to burn the whole
thing down.”

And here's the only thing he apologizes for -- a bullshit non-apology for tone
rather than substance:

> And so I’ve been ringing that bell. And I’ve been telling you, “This is
> going to end in disaster. It’s going to end in disaster.” No exits left.
> There’s a cliff coming. That’s what I want to apologize for. I still believe
> that: there’s a cliff coming. But that is such a hopeless message that I can
> barely survive. And it’s because I have gazed upon the problems. That which
> you gaze upon, you become.

I'm not going to waste more time debating this, because there's literally
nothing to debate. Beck did tremendous damage to the political discourse, and
he's never owned up to to it. And what he's doing now to normalize Trump's
dangerous behavior is only making the situation worse.

~~~
narrowrail
I realize you don't want to debate, and I don't either (based on what you've
written in this thread, I mostly agree with you). But, I've been listening to
the guy on the radio for the last 2 years and I feel like I've heard this
change/realization slowly happening over these 2 years. I never saw the guy on
TV, and didn't even know who he was until South Park parodied him in 2010. He
still has work to do (obviously), and I just think it is best to have these
discussions with people so that more empathy prevails in our country. We just
need less hate.

------
venomsnake
So - if you go insane and then insane once more you sound almost normal. Seems
like Glenn Beck is the Bursar from the unseen university.

Of course there is the little problem with trying to explain away his sins
instead of atoning for them.

You were spearhead, the Scaremonger in Chief of Fox News that frenzied the Tea
Party. Admit it and own it.

~~~
Zikes
I'm assuming you saw the name and the title and assumed a great deal about the
article, which I admit I did as well, but I recommend giving it a read. He
directly addresses the divisive nature of the two party system and the equal
responsibility both parties have in bringing it about.

It's clearly Glenn Beck's attempt to open up a meaningful dialog between the
warring parties, both politically and personally. It's something we're all
going to have to do, or all of the great evils we fear will arise from this
election's results may truly come about.

And it absolutely must start by not seeking out a label, or a quote, or some
ad hominem reason to outright dismiss someone before you've heard them out.

~~~
venomsnake
I totally read the article. i said he sounds almost reasonable. But that does
not erase his body of work in the 2008-2012 years. You cannot make yourself
rich with Fox dough and then - oh well, we must unite, when you are probably
guilty for 8 to 10% of that division.

~~~
Zikes
Honestly, who better? He has a following, people who know and respect him as a
Conservative leader. How else do you propose getting that message of unity out
to a Conservative audience?

Besides that, if a person sees the error of their ways, is truly remorseful,
and seeks to correct those errors, who are we to stand in their way? If Glenn
Beck wants to start preaching respect, unity across ideological barriers, and
social progress, then by all means I welcome him.

There's been a lot of hurt in this country lately, and if we can learn to
forgive people instead of punishing them then we'll all be much better off.

