Glenn Beck Compares Norway’s Young Victims To Hitler Youth
Jul 26th, 2011 | 27 responses
Glenn Beck has been laughing all the way to the bank for years as he knowingly and cement-headedly stirs up ratings garnering controversies. Fox News’ Roger Ailes must be down on his knees now thanking God that he parted ways with Beck given this one:
Controversial talk show host Glenn Beck has sparked outrage by comparing the 68 young victims of the horrific shooting on the Norwegian island of Utoya to the Hitler Youth.
Speaking on his radio programme yesterday, he said the teenagers attending the Labour youth camp on the idyllic island were like the Nazi leader’s infamous young followers, and branded any kind of political trip for youngsters as ‘disturbing’.Yet the Tea Party darling is the man behind the 9/12 Project, an organisation which runs politically-minded camps for young people across the U.S.
This is so indicative over how blind partisan ideology works. Outrage and scorn is only for those with whom someone disagrees or is perceived to disagree. If someone used the same phrase for Beck’s camp he’d be outraged and rightfully so.
Described as ‘a new low’ by a former press secretary to Norway’s prime minister, the comments come just days after 76 people died in Oslo and Utoya in a double attack by far-right extremist Anders Breivik.
Beck said: ‘As the thing started to unfold and there was a shooting at a political camp, which sounds a little like the Hitler Youth. Who does a camp for kids that’s all about politics? Disturbing.’
Does Beck own a mirror?
After making the controversial comments, Beck was at pains to point out he hadn’t blamed the shooting on Islamic extremists when the news first broke.
Condemning Breivik as a ‘mad man’, he said: ‘There is no difference between him and the 9/11 bombers. No difference. He is just as bad as Osama Bin Laden. Period.’
Fair enough.
But he said he had predicted last year Europe ‘is going to go into problems with radical Islam.’
Citing Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, he said: ‘Political correctness and multiculturalism is killing Europe, and he’s right.
Oh.
Torbjørn Eriksen, a former press secretary to Norway’s prime minister, described the remarks as a ‘new low’.
Eriksen is wrong.
Beck went below low years ago — which is why Ailes is now down on his knees chanting “Oh, thank you, God!!”
UPDATE: Time Magazine’s Glen Levy:
Understandably, his comments were quickly condemned. Torbjørn Eriksen, a former press secretary to Norway’s prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, said, “Young political activists have gathered at Utoya for over 60 years to learn about and be part of democracy, the very opposite of what the Hitler Youth was about. Glenn Beck’s comments are ignorant, incorrect and extremely hurtful.”
Admittedly, Beck did label the killings “the work of a madman” and called Breivik “as bad as Osama bin Laden,” but not until after his inflammatory remarks had been made. And what appears most puzzling is why Beck is perturbed by the purpose of the camp: politically-oriented camps are organized in several U.S. states by chapters of the “9/12 Project,” which is an organization founded by Beck back in 2009.
If Beck harbored any fears that his voice wouldn’t have the same kind of reach in light of his show on Fox News recently coming to an end, he needn’t have worried.
Indeed: perhaps this will be Beck’s business model: say outrageous things that get pitchforked into the headlines. It’s a (sad) fact that controversy, rage, conflict is what sells in America. Notoriety pays off. Beck doesn’t have respect as much as he has notoriety.
And he will…again…be laughing all the way to the bank. Who care’s who’s offended — or grieiving?
27 Responses to “Glenn Beck Compares Norway’s Young Victims To Hitler Youth”
He knows all of this. He says those things because so many people out there believe anything he, or, people like him say. Besides, he gets great press out of it.
It may not be marketing, but that Beck believes what he is saying.
It’s worth noting additionally that the photograph selected is strange. In no way does it relate to the story. A photo of Beck preaching in Washington, DC would have been a good choice.
DLS-Imagine for a moment someone in Norway discussing the killing that took place on 9/11 and comparing them as somehow Nazilike, meaning the victims. It is disgusting, it is wrong and we having gone through such trauma in this nation and having lambasted such voices when directed toward us should do better.
Also the victims in Norway are much more comparable to Young Republicans or Democratic groups as opposed to “hitler youth.” We have valid comparisons to those in Russia that are even being used in the same manner by Putin. Yet more proof that no matter how indefensible Beck’s statements are many on the right will defend such statements regardless of how they would have reacted if a lefty said something comparable.
If people could leap to the conclusion that the bombing was a radical Islamic terror act, then I don’t see how it is so terrible that a commentator could make an allusion to a Nazi political camp. Over the top, yes, but listening to the portion of the tape, I think he is against political camps for youths in general. I am also.
OK, start the shelling.
P.S., I am NOT a Beck fan, but jeez, now a days you have to bend over backwards and do it twice to be politically correct or the other side jumps all over you with hob nailed boots (get the allusion).
dduck-So after 911 were all such cracks and comparisons acceptable? Not insulting and attacking victims when they happened to not be attacked by muslim extremists but instead by a christian one does not equal PC, it equals being humane.
Sky — I haven’t defended Beck at all, and I know it’s wrong (as well as strange) for him to have mischaracterized the children; why the “explanation” that I never have needed?
Duck — Yes, indeed, PC run amok. Plus many liberals (not Sky, here, but others on this site lately) completely ignore it when we criticize conservatives and Republicans (which the other side doesn’t do with their own, as a rule — it’s a landslide of right-hatred on this site, often, overwhelmingly in one direction). Perhaps Obama’s fumbling of the budget (where’s his budget, again?) and Reid’s plan that doesn’t include vicious little class warfare tax features in it has them more upset than ever now.
dduck I see no way to rationalize this, Beck’s comments are beyond the pale. If teenagers want to attend a camp about politics more power to them.
D. Duck wrote:
As in the public schools, which are always susceptible to such an influence. Fortunately there aren’t that many instances, but those “nuclear education” and “AIDS education” (and sometime, “climate education”?) stunts we’ve witnessed already can be disturbing.
The problem or concern (or threat) hasn’t gone away.
http://esrnational.org/
Oddly didnt Beck have a program for youth attached to his 912 movement? Sounds like he lacks a problem with “political youth camps” and instead has a problem with something else entirely.
Give me a break. The victims in Norway were largely children, and, they weren’t “indoctrinated”. They were just having a camp out. It’s not like it was KKK family picnic.
Sure nuff, his was targeted at ages 8-12.
http://www.meetup.com/tampa912/events/22130491/
It’s not the comment so much as it’s the hypocrisy.
He says something like that but yet completely ignores his own 912 group and others.
“I see no way to rationalize this, Beck’s comments are beyond the pale.” ~ DaGoat
Thank-you for that straight, simple, and unapologetic truth. It is refreshing.
DLS-Also sorry, the defense comment was much more general since I have been reading about it all over the intertubes and getting good and angry. You did not deserve such a link on this issue and I apologize for it being lumped into the same comment to you.
No problem, Sky. You’re a quality critic, unlike so many others here.
The Magical Sky Father wrote:
What the hell — conservatives can be hypocritical, too, sometimes.
(Tampa Liberty School, from Tampa 912 — if not directly from Beck, indirectly)
http://tampalibertyschool-eorg.eventbrite.com/
I actually believe Beck’s ego may be overacting, rather than, say, he is trying to be deliberately provocative in the Ann Coulter way. The personality cult he appeared to have been developing may have claimed him, in other words. A personality cult like Hitler’s?
“The personality cult he appeared to have been developing may have claimed him, in other words. A personality cult like Hitler’s?”
Some rationality does exist that fuels the lefts irrational fears of him. He is a demagog.
I assume everyone** here’s ok with parents sending their kids to church camp, though? Hmft. Maybe all you libertarian types think the government should get involved in what sort of camps you’re allowed to send your kids to.
The problem with Beck’s comment is pretty obvious. It tacitly blames the victims — kids — for their own deaths, which were caused by a racist religious violent jerk, himself, ironically, very much in the Nazi mold, except with more God. It says they deserved it. Which is disgusting.
Hell, going further, let’s say these kids were, literally, Nazi youth. Kids aren’t, actually, born as white supremicist murderers. Even if they were sent, at the will of their parents, to learn the Nazi way of life at camp, is that actually somehow an appropriate target for mass murder? If they were literally Nazi youth, does that make the terrorist murdering racist POS who did this a hero? I think not.
**correction: not everyone. Just those somehow excusing Beck’s comment on the idea that political camp is wrong.
Political is distinct from cultural (or religious).
School is the great socializer and developer of children outside and second only to the family. That doesn’t imply that accepting that makes everyone sinister collectivists and propagandists.
He goes beyond demagoguery — I really dislike the personality cult he developed. (“Hear me!”)
“Political is distinct from cultural (or religious).”
I’m not so sure on that. I’ve been to church camp.
I don’t care what anyone thinks (it’s OK), I just don’t like clubs/camps, whatever, narrowly focused politically or religiously. I am an atheist and have registered as an independent most of my voting life. Lemmings join eagles soar.
However, if Beck does indeed sponsor such a group, then fie on him and you are all correct.
Kids should just have fun and enjoy, not get “oriented” between soccer games.
This was a tragedy and a sick person with a narrow mind perpetrated it. And further, I don’t agree Beck’s equivalence of 9/11 and this horror. One is random and sick, the other an act of war.
Roro wrote:
Religious Left?
[grin]
No sir, I grew up in SoCal. Ain’t no “left” anything down there.
dduck- First I am not big on the camps or youth groups either. It has been my experience that whether they are political or religious or the monstrosity that is the blend of the two(my view) they almost always have more to do with the parents than the children.
From my point of view 911, OKC and the attack in Norway are all acts of war though only one of them resulted in an actual war. McVeigh did not think he was alone. Like the unibomber and this latest nutcase they all seemed to believe that they would be the spark that started the revolutionary movement that gave them their vision of utopia. This is what they have in common with the 911 attackers. What they lack is an organization. Instead of being foot soldiers of a larger movement they are both the foot soldier and the plotter.
The victims in all of those attacks are innocent though. I witnessed similar attempts to smear them though. The 911 victims were part of the American corp system that “enslaves the world.” The OKC victims were those that worked for the federal gov and therefore were in league with those that “enslaved Amricans.” In this attack those attacked were part of the political groups, as much as children can be, that were believers in multiculturalism. I have seen leftists go after the 911 workers and militia anti-gov types make similar comments about the OKC workers. The “hitler youth” comment makes them sound like a possible danger that though the attacks are sad maybe..just maybe it will turn out to be for the better since this will teach them. I do not think that is defensible in anyway. It is rationalization of terrorism which all of the above attacks were.
My horror though is mostly that all of those in Norway that stood with us on 911 and after OKC would hear such hate and attribute it to a group of Americans instead of just some jerk(so many better names but trying to be nice). For all that stood with us and felt our pain I feel the need to do the same for them and I have little patience for those that only think of them and theirs like Beck seems to.
I do not see this as random though. Manson, McVeigh and this guy planned and plotted their acts of what they believed was revolution which is an act of war. They plotted, planned and designed they just did it alone unlike the 911 attackers but of course they lacked funding from Saudi Arabia to train an entire army of like minded psychopaths.
PC is an utterly separate issue that I think has been horribly misunderstood or disformed by those that hate it. PC is not calling a person that has mental retardation “tard.” Not calling a lesbian “dyke.” And on and on. PC is about not being offensive unless you intend to offend and if that is what you intend dont be a thin skinned baby when it comes right back your way because you kind of deserve it.
Hatred of PC language was mostly the cause of those that wanted to keep sexist and bigoted language but be treated with the kindness to not be called on it like they were not in previous decades. Now it has been utterly disformed into PC=saying anything unpopular when that is not what it is. You can say unpopular things just base them on something more than sheer prejudice because without reasons that is what it looks like…most likely because that is usually what it is.
Ah PC has come to mean things you do not say in polite company when in reality it was about treating others with the same respect you expect to be treated with. Of course I come from the pro-PC generation so this may have a good deal to do with my views on it.
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