Glenn Beck is going to have a third act sometime in the next five to ten years and it's going to be extremely dangerous.
Calling it now.
Calling it now.
This isn't in response to any new info about him, just something I'm thinking about a lot watching this US convoy copycat develop.
I have yet to see any analysis of the emergence of the contemporary fascist far right that appropriately recognizes his role.
I have yet to see any analysis of the emergence of the contemporary fascist far right that appropriately recognizes his role.
He's such a skilled, intuitive propagandist when given a platform and free reign.
Fox killed his act *because* he was so good at what he did that the Tea Party started following his lead instead of the Ailes agenda.
Fox killed his act *because* he was so good at what he did that the Tea Party started following his lead instead of the Ailes agenda.
Ailes wanted the Tea Party to be a pseudo-populist neocon army that could counter Acorn organizing on a local level.
It was Beck who whipped them into the nativist, proto-fascist frenzy that laid the groundwork for a successful Trump presidential run.
It was Beck who whipped them into the nativist, proto-fascist frenzy that laid the groundwork for a successful Trump presidential run.
People forget, Trump wasn't political at all until he signed on to that Obama birth certificate truther stuff.
Glenn Beck chalkboard conspiracy theory nonsense is what made the birther movement viable in the first place (and later, QAnon).
Glenn Beck chalkboard conspiracy theory nonsense is what made the birther movement viable in the first place (and later, QAnon).
Beck knows how to present conspiracy theory as urgent fact in a way that gets through to normies.
I remember canvassing suburbs during that time and we'd get these proto-QAnon folks at doors who would angrily, urgently warn us about Secret Obama Communism and other Beck-isms.
I remember canvassing suburbs during that time and we'd get these proto-QAnon folks at doors who would angrily, urgently warn us about Secret Obama Communism and other Beck-isms.
Bannon and Beck are the two most skilled fascist propagandists I've ever seen.
I know Carlson is the guy to watch right now, but as far as I can tell, he's just doing a fash version of Bill O'Reilly's schtick. Dangerous, but derivative.
I know Carlson is the guy to watch right now, but as far as I can tell, he's just doing a fash version of Bill O'Reilly's schtick. Dangerous, but derivative.
If it's true that Bannon's marbles are going (and I have no opinion on that, I've just heard it from folks who keep an eye on him), that moves Beck to the top of the propagandist list.
If/when he gets a real platform (and The Blaze ain't it), he has the ability to cause extreme harm, very quickly.
That'll be especially true if events like the convoy have already brought folks on the ground together the way the Tea Party did a decade ago.
That'll be especially true if events like the convoy have already brought folks on the ground together the way the Tea Party did a decade ago.
(I should say, that was when he became interested in *electoral* stuff in a big, national way. The Central Park stuff was obviously political)
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