Glenn Beck is obviously a deep thinker. In his new book, Arguing With Himself Idiots he furiously whacks at strawmen, teaching the “idiot” about what the founders really meant.
September 22 brought us the release of Beck’s second book of 2009, the ironically titled Arguing with Idiots. In it, Beck is engaged in an ongoing argument with “the idiot,” who comes armed with some truly idiotic statements, such as, “They may not be perfect, but France is doing socialism right — we should be more like them,” and, “Private schools aren’t beholden to unions, but they should be closed because they’re only for the rich.” Beck fearlessly tears down these strawmen throughout the 300-page book.
I guess if Beck’s readers ever meet someone who wants to close private schools they’ll be armed with a great argument. Apparently his book is full of cartoon depictions of ethnic stereotypes and contains a bizarre defense of an obscure pro-slavery law (without mentioning the law is pro-slavery). That’s not the only wisdom that Beck shares with his audience. He also has a list of history’s worst persons.
In his chapter titled “U.S. Presidents: A Steady Progression of Progressives,” Beck treats us to his list of the “Top Ten Bastards of All Time.” The occupants of that list, in ascending order, are Pol Pot, Robert Mugabe, Teddy Roosevelt, Bernie Madoff, Adolf Hitler, Keith Olbermann, Pontius Pilate, FDR, Tiger Woods, and Woodrow Wilson. That’s right, in Beck’s book, mass slaughter of millions of innocents makes you a less reprehensible person than the presidents who won both World Wars for the United States.
Gee, at least Hitler is on the list. Teddy Roosevelt? Tiger Woods? What has Tiger Woods done to earn Beck’s ire? Seriously, Tiger Woods, Keith Olbermann, FDR, TR and Woodrow Wilson are on the same list as Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler? I thought conservatives had a thing for Saddam Hussein? So, Tiger Woods is worse than Saddam Hussein, then, I guess. I expect the invasion of the golf course to be imminent.
I’m just waiting for the Beck defenders to tell me this is some kind of subtle, nuanced humor that liberals can’t detect.