David Seaton's picture

    Beck, rhymes with yecch: Murdoch flirts with antisemitism... Why?

    By David Seaton on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 4:00pm |
    Welcome to the "Glenn Beck Program," where Jews are Nazis and those who exploit ancient anti-Semitic conspiracy narratives are friends of the Jews.  Michael Wolraich - CNN

    “Soros' people called me to say I am an anti-Semite because I was going to air this," he says in one program. "Probably, I am more supportive of Israel and Jews than George Soros." Haaretz

    “While I, too, may disagree with many of Soros’ views and analysis on the issues, to bring in this kind of innuendo about his past is unacceptable. To hold a young boy responsible for what was going on around him during the Holocaust as part of a larger effort to denigrate the man is repugnant. The Holocaust was a horrific time, and many people had to make excruciating choices to ensure their survival. George Soros has been forthright about his childhood experiences and his family’s history, and there the matter should rest." Abraham Foxman, Chairman, Anti-Defamation League

    "Go to bed with dogs, wake up with fleas"
    Old Spanish proverb

    I'm not sure that the true significance of Glenn Beck's attack on George Soros is being evaluated correctly and in the proper perspective.

    The question that people should be asking themselves is not whether Glenn Beck's remarks are antisemitic, because the only people who can define antisemitism are the Jewish people themselves and Abe Foxman is the person America's Jewish community has endowed with the power to decide what is or isn't defamation. Thus if Foxman, speaking ex-cathedra on this question, says that Beck's remarks are "unacceptable" and "repugnant", then that clinches it: Beck has crossed the red line into antisemitism.

    That being so, the question people should be asking themselves is why Rupert Murdoch (Beck is merely Murdoch's creature) has decided to play with what is considered the "third rail" (touch it and you die, your career is finished) to end all third rails in US politics, which is antisemitism. And even to take it upon himself to break one of the touchiest of all taboos, which for a gentile to say who is a "good" or a "bad" Jew. And even more provocatively, he has allowed, or most probably encouraged,  Glenn Beck to connect the word "Jew" with the word "conspiracy". In today's America this, as Michael Wolraich points out at CNN, is to enter the world of Lyndon LaRouche. Murdoch has also allowed Beck to mention the most unmentionable of all unmentionables, the "don't go there" of all the don't go there subjects: the Jews that collaborated with the Nazis. No less than Hannah Arendt, one of the 20th century's most prestigious political scholars, was dragged over the coals for mentioning it in her controversial book "Eichmann in Jerusalem". 

    In short it would be nearly impossible to offend more Jewish sensibilities in such a short time than Beck has, all the while professing his "more papist than the pope" loyalty to the Jewish people and to the state of Israel. Perfectly outrageous. People are outraged. Mission accomplished

    Why is Murdoch doing this?

    My theory is that he is doing it to prove he can do it.

    To prove that he, Rupert Murdoch, can break all the rules and emerge unscathed, can waltz blithely where others have had to crawl on their bellies in abject repentance or be expelled to the outer darkness where there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth .

    Why should Murdoch want to do that?

    He is playing a mind game with the Zionist right wing, both in America and Israel.

    Why?

    I think he wants to shake down AIPAC, that is why, and he is "talking trash" to make them nervous.

    At this moment the Obama administration is trying to get a settlement freeze and then define the borders of a Palestinian state with a view to creating said state, thus ending the dream of a "Greater Israel". To fight this off, AIPAC is going to need all the help they can get and Fox would have to be a key player in that fight.

    Murdoch doesn't want to be taken for granted... that is his message.

    He wants to show all observers that he is the boss. That people crawl before him, that he doesn't crawl before anyone...  that his support is costly.

    What is his price? I have no idea as yet. All I know is that with Ayn Rand dead, Rupert Murdoch is one of the nastiest pieces of work to share our planet and whatever the price, it will be a devil's bargain.

    Cross posted from http://seaton-newslinks.blogspot.com

    Comments

    I don't know how to look at this episode as a part of Murdoch's game.

    I have long felt Beck's penchant for comparing "progressives" and Nazis to be deeply disrespectful of those remembering the Shoah, whether they be Jews or not. 

    By their fruits, you shall know them.

     


    by moat on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 7:02pm

    Why hasn't Beck = Sanchez?

    The Jews got fatigued?


    by quinn esq on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 7:50pm

    Thus Murdoch proves his power and those who worship power take due note.


    by David Seaton on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 1:15am

    How can you call Beck anything? When I watched the show he only reported what Geo Soros said. The video followed the statement. He is only trying to alert us of the conspiraqcy to bring USA into chaos and "One World Government. I for one beleive we should listen and react appropriately!


    by JustasIseeIt (not verified) on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 9:07pm

    None of you Beck puppets has posted a single link here to support your view. Give it your best shot.


    by moat on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 9:43pm

    You must pass the entrance quiz:

    Is the world 6000 years old?

    Have you ever back-packed in a national park?

    Do you think Soros was responsible for the failure of Lehman Brothers?

    Who do you think has more financial assets and market power. Soros or Murdoch?

    Do you like Sushi?

    Do you watch "Amazing Race".

     


    by Oxy Mora on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 9:53pm

    No. Yes. No. Murdoch. Yes. Yes.

    What do I win? 


    by Orlando on Wed, 11/17/2010 - 8:12am

    Everyone is upset about what Beck says about politics - but can't we all just agree that Odelay is a going to be regarded as one of the classic albums of our times?

    Seriously, I don't think Murdoch can exercise any control over GB- unless he's willing to pull the plug.  He's kind of in a tight spot because (as I understand it) the network loses money on the show (it's radioactive for mainstream advertisers), but cancellation could outrage part of the core audience for the rest of the programming. 

     


    by Contrarian on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 9:44pm

    I love Odelay.  Cool

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1KdA-97vs

     


    by LisB on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 9:48pm

    Refresh my memory: who exactly appointed Abe Foxman to be the one who is "endowed with the power to decide what is or isn't defamation"? The ADL has had its share of scandals. Was it the same person who said that you can't mention the Jews that collaborated with the Nazis? I should remind you that Ben Hecht did mention them. And why all this fuss about George Soros being (in name only) Jewish? The most interesting thing about Soros is that he's a big-time gangster, and being Jewish is still not a get-out-of-jail-free card.


    by Marisol (not verified) on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 10:05pm

    David, it is difficult to imagine Murdoch's market power and untouchableness. I watched a Congressional hearing on immigration when he teamed with Bloomberg on a panel. He basked in his power, smirked at Maxine Waters with papable contempt. He has an unerring sense of Americans' sleeze and conspiracy buttons and he plays them to his heart's content, because he can, and because like most at his level, it's about winning and staying on top. I don't know if there is a conspiracy, I think it's ego. No different than GWB, Cheney, Rumsfeld, or for that matter, Rubin or Diamond. After Waters, when a Republican patronized him and Fox he smiled, but the contempt was still there, he read Waters and the Rep. the same way, they are chumps and pawns.


    by Oxy Mora on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 10:47pm

    Thus if Foxman, speaking ex-cathedra on this question, says that Beck's remarks are "unacceptable" and "repugnant", then that clinches it: Beck has crossed the red line into antisemitism.

    Although I agree with the conclusion that Beck is an anti-Semite (and barely even tries to hide it anymore), the Jews don't have anyone who speaks ex cathedra for them, and if they did, it certainly wouldn't be Foxman. I mean, I understand your point and I know you have a penchant for hyperbole in order to make a point, but I feel that literary technique usually does more to undermine your point than to support it.


    by Atheist (not verified) on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 10:57am

    Obviously  "ex-cathedra" is a bit of a trop. But the Anti-Defamation League has been the "official" definer of antisemitism since I can remember. If they say they are offended than that is about it.


    by David Seaton on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 11:38am

    They are offended by many things: opposition to Israeli expansionsim, criticism of Bernie Madoff, African-Americans, and so on. The credibilty of the ADL is low.


    by Marisol (not verified) on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 2:05pm

    Still the ADL is the "official" judge of what is antisemitic and what isn't. It is a "family affair", you don't have a vote.


    by David Seaton on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 3:47pm

    I'm somewhat surprised that you, of all people, would fall for this seemingly Chauvinistic claim. The ADL is based in the United States, and state that they are "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency". I've got nothing against the ADL, but I doubt even they would claim to be the official judge or final arbiter. In fact, if pressed, I could probably come up with a few examples where they've claimed anti-Semitism and many other prominent Jews have disagreed, rightly or wrongly (such claims are not always as clear as with Beck).


    by Atheist (not verified) on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 3:57pm

    By definition, the ADL has chauvinistic and tribal aspects, because it was constituted to specifically defend a very clearly defined and differentiated group of people from being defamed... there is something about these arguments about its nature that reminds me of the Oozlum bird.


    by David Seaton on Wed, 11/17/2010 - 6:08am

    Touché, but I was referring not to the (duodecuple) tribal aspect of the ADL, but to the fact that its charter refers to its national, as in the United States, aspects. Thanks for the link to the Oozlum bird — it was an interesting read.


    by Atheist (not verified) on Wed, 11/17/2010 - 8:28am

    The Jewish people can not follow Abe Foxman like the Taliban or other crazy mullahs.  Glenn Beck did not quote the 14 year old Soros.  He played the video of the 80 year old Soros talking about the happiest time of his life. The 14 year old Soros remembers his time working for the Nazi's as "The happiest year of my life".  Listen for yourself and be the judge and dont act like the Taliban.

    SOROS: "It was actually probably the happiest year of my life, that year of 
    

German occupation. For me, it was a very positive experience. It's a sage thing 
    

because you see incredible suffering around you and the fact you are in 
    

considerable danger yourself. But you're 14 years old and you don't believe that 
    

it can actually touch you. You have a belief in yourself. You have a belief in 
    

your father. It's a very happy-making exhilarating experience."

     


    by Yukondave (not verified) on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 2:30pm

    The funny thing is, you're probably just a "useful idiot" passing along this out-of-context quotation. Watch it in context and you'll realize just what an idiot you are:

    http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/3240

    To save you some time, I'll let you know: he starts talking about Hitler at about 35 minutes in. The context for Beck's Soros quote is at about 46 minutes in (the quote itself is about 48 minutes in). Soros was addressing the paradox of being happy during a miserable time and a period of immense evil, but perhaps that's just too deep for you to understand. He was also addressing the concept of "ignorance is bliss", but perhaps you're too deep in the forest to see the trees on that one.

     


    by Atheist (not verified) on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 3:33pm

    The Jewish people can not follow Abe Foxman like the Taliban or other crazy mullahs.  Glenn Beck did not quote the 14 year old Soros.  He played the video of the 80 year old Soros talking about the happiest time of his life. The 14 year old Soros remembers his time working for the Nazi's as "The happiest year of my life".  Listen for yourself and be the judge and dont act like the Taliban.

     

     

    SOROS: "It was actually probably the happiest year of my life, that year of 
    

German occupation. For me, it was a very positive experience. It's a sage thing 
    

because you see incredible suffering around you and the fact you are in 
    

considerable danger yourself. But you're 14 years old and you don't believe that 
    

it can actually touch you. You have a belief in yourself. You have a belief in 
    

your father. It's a very happy-making exhilarating experience."

     


    by Yukondave (not verified) on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 2:31pm

    I think this argument is all absurd. George Soros was speaking frankly about a situation that no fourteen year old boy could possibly understand and a boy that age's blood is filled with energy and hope. Soros shows himself to be a very wise man who has learned many important lessons in his life.

    I must repeat that I think Glenn Beck is totally full of shit or as Mike Huckabee would say, "constipated".  I wrote a very long piece awhile back where I explain what the "big lie" is and what it is for. Beck is a classic fascist, nothing particularly original about him. What is extraordinary is that Murdoch is giving him such an audience. Murdoch is the real villain here.


    by David Seaton on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 3:43pm

    Americans need to wake up the fact that Beck is simply another opinion pushing charlatan who is a product of mormon cult theology that he mixes with parts of Catholicism and his personal core as a dry alcoholic.  And for the record, he is a Mormon and not a Christian.  The two are not the same.  The religion of Islam has more in common with Christianity than the mormon cult. 

    The truth about Beck is that he a dry mormon alcoholic who never got the counseling required for alcoholics.  Because he does not possess a single ounce of journalistic integrity, he is the perfect abortion poster child for Fox Network. Considering the fact that Becks personal views are extreme Marxist Libertarian, his form of patriotism is false and he is a person who has no real substance or depth. 

    Glenn Beck consistently demonstrates all the unstable behaviors of a dry alcoholic which include grandiosity, judgmentalism, intolerance, impulsivity, ADD and indecisiveness. In short, Beck, Limbaugh, O Reilly, Hannity, Palin, O Donnell and others like them frequently pervert truth, history, facts and the US Constitution when they open their big mouths.


    by Johnny America (not verified) on Thu, 11/18/2010 - 10:05am

    Johnny, I bet you feel better getting that off your chest. I agree with your essential sentiment, if not all your points. As a newcomer here, allow me to give you a pointer. When you say "The religion of Islam has more in common with Christianity than the Mormon cult" you tend to lose your audience by painting with a very large brush. But someone here who was a major in philosophy and religion will jump in and disect it with a sharp knife. Other than that, pard, you're preaching to the choir, right on. Beck is a charlatan, a tool of for-profit media, and a disgrace to the country. 


    by Oxy Mora on Thu, 11/18/2010 - 10:28am

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