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One of the ways Fox’s Glenn Beck damages the U.S. is by encouraging hatred and divisiveness using misinformation and distortions. One manifestation of that damage is he fools many earnest people into believing all he says is true.
Ricky Dale Crain’s letter predicting the downfall of the U.S. is an example of this kind of damage (10-22-09 News-Star). The USA is a powerful country with strong traditions of constitutional government, freedom, and democracy. People in most other countries, impressed by U.S. power and the recent election of Obama to the presidency would be surprised to hear from Beck/Crain that we are nearing a downfall.
They would be further surprised to hear that administrators whom some people like to call “czars” are a major problem. Most large administrations appoint accomplished people to coordinate work between agencies and departments.
These appointments worked well for the Bush administration, with 35 administrators called czars in media articles, and it seems to be working well for the Obama administration, though only 32 of their leading people have been called “czar” (factcheck.org).
One of Beck’s strategies for disruption is to spout distorted information about some of these talented public servants.
For example, not one of the absurd claims about Cass Sunstein that Mr. Crain repeats is true. For anyone interested in finding how Beck operates, read “Witch hunt continues: Fox goes after Sunstein with false smears” (mediamatters.org). Media Matters provides the words of Beck, followed by quotations from Sunstein with some commentary to explain Sunstein’s statements.
Beck has purposely mistaken Sunstein’s remarks. Even without Media Matters’ help, common sense should tell us the claims about Sunstein in Mr. Crain’s letter could not be true.
Mark Lloyd, whom Beck/Crain also attacks, has a distinguished career in communications issues, teaching at MIT and serving on the boards of several foundations and in the media, where he received awards including an Emmy and a Cine Golden Eagle (netcaucus.org).
Lloyd is not interested in muzzling conservative talk radio. He is a believer in First Amendment rights, but finds these rights have been “warped to protect global corporations.” A result is “the government has abandoned its role in advancing the communications capabilities of real people” (mediamatters.org). These beliefs guide his efforts to encourage the FCC to enforce its rules.
I’ll treat some of Beck/Crain’s equally false claims about Carol Browner in another letter.
Joe Hall,
Shawnee
One of the ways Fox’s Glenn Beck damages the U.S. is by encouraging hatred and divisiveness using misinformation and distortions. One manifestation of that damage is he fools many earnest people into believing all he says is true.
Ricky Dale Crain’s letter predicting the downfall of the U.S. is an example of this kind of damage (10-22-09 News-Star). The USA is a powerful country with strong traditions of constitutional government, freedom, and democracy. People in most other countries, impressed by U.S. power and the recent election of Obama to the presidency would be surprised to hear from Beck/Crain that we are nearing a downfall.
They would be further surprised to hear that administrators whom some people like to call “czars” are a major problem. Most large administrations appoint accomplished people to coordinate work between agencies and departments.
These appointments worked well for the Bush administration, with 35 administrators called czars in media articles, and it seems to be working well for the Obama administration, though only 32 of their leading people have been called “czar” (factcheck.org).
One of Beck’s strategies for disruption is to spout distorted information about some of these talented public servants.
For example, not one of the absurd claims about Cass Sunstein that Mr. Crain repeats is true. For anyone interested in finding how Beck operates, read “Witch hunt continues: Fox goes after Sunstein with false smears” (mediamatters.org). Media Matters provides the words of Beck, followed by quotations from Sunstein with some commentary to explain Sunstein’s statements.
Beck has purposely mistaken Sunstein’s remarks. Even without Media Matters’ help, common sense should tell us the claims about Sunstein in Mr. Crain’s letter could not be true.
Mark Lloyd, whom Beck/Crain also attacks, has a distinguished career in communications issues, teaching at MIT and serving on the boards of several foundations and in the media, where he received awards including an Emmy and a Cine Golden Eagle (netcaucus.org).
Lloyd is not interested in muzzling conservative talk radio. He is a believer in First Amendment rights, but finds these rights have been “warped to protect global corporations.” A result is “the government has abandoned its role in advancing the communications capabilities of real people” (mediamatters.org). These beliefs guide his efforts to encourage the FCC to enforce its rules.
I’ll treat some of Beck/Crain’s equally false claims about Carol Browner in another letter.
Joe Hall,
Shawnee
