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Beck Mocks a Plea for Civility

Yeah it's terrible Beck is. I mean he should do it right, by producing a "fictional" account of Piven being assassinated or writing a book on how to do it. Then he wouldn't get any criticism, it'd be art.


You mean as he did with Michael Moore?



It's amazing how so many Republicans/conservatives, and those that claim they are not Republican/conservatives, but come to the defense of the Republicans/conservatives don't seem to think there is nothing wrong with Beck's rants? Has their morality sunk that low? It sure seems so.
 
Here, let Beck speak for himself:

Of course he is going to continue to lie, just like he did about her to begin with.

It appears that his followers are as looney as he is, if they don't take the time to check it out, but just continue to take his word for it.

He has long obsessed over Frances Fox Piven, the 78-year-old distinguished professor at the City University of New York. Central to Beck's lies about Piven is the charge that a Nation article she co-wrote with Richard Cloward in 1966 somehow holds the blueprint for a violent leftist takeover of the United States. Beck's similar fascination with the supposed threat posed by the Tides Foundation apparently led one of his fans to attempt an armed assault on the organization (FAIR Blog, 7/22/10).

Beck's supposed anti-violence pledge, issued in the wake of the Tucson massacre, contains a bizarre equation of Piven with a violent paramilitary cult under indictment for plotting the wholesale murder of police officers:

I denounce violent threats and calls for the destruction of our system--regardless of their underlying ideology--whether they come from the Hutaree Militia or Frances Fox Piven.

Needless to say, equating Piven's advocacy of grassroots democratic political activism with terrorism-based revolution is hardly an effective way to discourage violence. Unsurprisingly, some Beck followers have taken his demented fulminations a step further, posting death threats against Piven in the comment section of his website, the Blaze. As Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman recounted on her January 14 program:

On December 31, Glenn Beck’s website, the Blaze, published an article titled "Frances Fox Piven Rings in the New Year by Calling for Violent Revolution." In response to that article, several readers posted direct death threats to Piven. A user named JST1425 wrote, quote, "Be very careful what you ask for, honey.... As I mentioned in previous posts...ONE SHOT...ONE KILL! 'We the People' will need to stand up for what is right.... A few well-placed marksmen with high-powered rifles.... Then there would not be any violence," unquote.

User name SUPERWRENCH4 wrote, quote, "Somebody tell Frances I have 5000 roundas [sic] ready and I'll give My life to take Our freedom back. Taking Her life and any who would enslave My children and grandchildren and call for violence should meet their demise as They wish. George Washington didn't use His freedom of speech to defeat the British, He shot them," unquote.

Another reader wrote on Glenn Beck's website, quote, "We should blowup Piven's office and home. And while at it. Keel haul Bernardine Dohrn under one of her freedom ships and blow up Bill Ayers' house cars and anywhere he can be found," unquote.
And a user who goes by the name GREEN_MANALISHI wrote, quote, "I'm all for violence and change Francis, where do your loved ones live?" unquote.

Despite the overt threats, Glenn Beck has not removed any of the messages from his site, even though readers of the Blaze are encouraged to highlight troublesome posts.

In Tucson last week, shooting victim James Eric Fuller was arrested after exclaiming "you're dead" to a Tea Party activist who was criticizing gun control at a post-massacre forum. So apparently the laws against making violent threats still apply to some people.

UPDATE: Last June (6/10), Glenn Beck's demonization of progressives took an eliminationist turn when he told his Fox News audience that "radicals"-- he named Code Pink's Jody Evans, environmental and civil rights activist Van Jones, University of Wisconsin professor Joel Rogers, progressive strategist Jeff Jones and labor leader Andy Stern--ought to be "shot in the head" by Democrats instead of being courted by them.

Adressing Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, about American "radicals" and "revolutionaries," Beck said:


You've been using them? They believe in communism. They believe and have called for a revolution. You're going to have to shoot them in the head. But warning, they may shoot you.

They are dangerous because they believe. Karl Marx is their George Washington. You will never change their mind. And if they feel you have lied to them--they're revolutionaries. Nancy Pelosi, those are the people you should be worried about.

Here is my advice when you're dealing with people who believe in something that strongly--you take them seriously. You listen to their words and you believe that they will follow up with what they say.

Of course, there is no danger that Pelosi or other Democratic leaders will take Beck's demented words to heart. The danger is that Beck devotees are being told by their hero that these dangerous progressives, who may be homicidal themselves, are worthy of assassination. It wouldn't be the first or second time a Beck devotee took murderous action.

FAIR Blog » Blog Archive » Glenn Beck's Dangerous Obsession With Frances Fox Piven



While it's really quite sinister, it's also incredibly silly, since the heart of Beck's case is a glue-sniffer-level misreading of things you can look up on the internet yourself, and see that there's no violence at all in her planning or intent. Here's a taste from the introductory part of the segment with Pivens, where Beck's smearing is aired at some length--though, typically, without very much in the way of substance:

Open Left:: Frances Fox Piven: Despite Beck's ravings, no violence, just calls for empowering the powerless.
 
I don't care. If Piven feels insecure, let her hire bodyguards. This is just payback for the death threats from the left while Bush was president. Remember the play called Checkpoint in which Bush's assassination was portrayed? The left created this atmosphere and now must live with the consequences of it's own violent rhetoric.

I know you don't care, you have already stated your position, that you are just interested in bringing America down, because that way you can blame Obama.

And, for someone that claims is not a Republican, you sure seem to come to the defense of Bush so readily. Perhaps you don't tell the truth much?

Ergo, I'm not really interested in your rhetoric.
 
Beck didn't lie about Piven. Twist and spin all you want, but you're not fooling me, or anyone else with a lick of common sense.
 
Beck didn't lie about Piven. Twist and spin all you want, but you're not fooling me, or anyone else with a lick of common sense.

Beck sarcastically remarks the New York Times must have "creditable firm solid proof" in reference to his article. Then he presents this statement, "Piven wants to overwhelm the system and bring about the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with impossible demands and bring on economic collapse." as fact without any kind of "creditable firm solid proof"

I don't know who Piven is and I don't really care, but if what Beck is saying is without any proof, how is it anything other than a lie?
 
Beck sarcastically remarks the New York Times must have "creditable firm solid proof" in reference to his article. Then he presents this statement, "Piven wants to overwhelm the system and bring about the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with impossible demands and bring on economic collapse." as fact without any kind of "creditable firm solid proof"

I don't know who Piven is and I don't really care, but if what Beck is saying is without any proof, how is it anything other than a lie?

Beck is not a journalist - investigating and reporting. He's an emotional commentator and discusses how he *feels* about things.
 
Beck is not a journalist - investigating and reporting. He's an emotional commentator and discusses how he *feels* about things.

Oh that retort again. Seems I've heard something similar from the right when Rush Lardass says something assinine. Something to the effect of "he's only an entertainer." Never mind his viewers take everything he says as the God's honest truth. I know an individual that feels the same about Beck.
 
Oh that retort again. Seems I've heard something similar from the right when Rush Lardass says something assinine. Something to the effect of "he's only an entertainer." Never mind his viewers take everything he says as the God's honest truth. I know an individual that feels the same about Beck.

I'm not saying that people don't respect him, take him seriously - or anything like that.

But everyone needs to understand that - in his exact niche - the "truth" is not a necessity or a requirement. If he was a journalist in a publication it would be a firm issue. But he's not - so it's not.

There is nothing that regulates commentary of such nature from anyone.
 
Only that ass of a man Beck would do something like that. I really hate him. With a passion. I would punch him if I was given the opportunity.
 
I'm not saying that people don't respect him, take him seriously - or anything like that.

But everyone needs to understand that - in his exact niche - the "truth" is not a necessity or a requirement. If he was a journalist in a publication it would be a firm issue. But he's not - so it's not.

There is nothing that regulates commentary of such nature from anyone.

Im going to jump ahead of the obvious response to this and add that yes the New York Times also has opinion in its news curricular like any other news body such as Fox News.
 
Only that ass of a man Beck would do something like that. I really hate him. With a passion. I would punch him if I was given the opportunity.

And let me jump ahead of the obvious response to that as well and say if anyone thinks they're clever for pointing out there's a liberal here, assuming he is a liberal, inciting violence you need to catch up with everyone else.
 
And let me jump ahead of the obvious response to that as well and say if anyone thinks they're clever for pointing out there's a liberal here, assuming he is a liberal, inciting violence you need to catch up with everyone else.


I have no idea what the context of that was or what it was supposed to mean.
 
Im going to jump ahead of the obvious response to this and add that yes the New York Times also has opinion in its news curricular like any other news body such as Fox News.

Yeah - it's kind of crappy but true. That goes with 'freedom of speech' and all that fun stuff we love so much. . . People have the right to form opinions, shape them into a deliverable message, and deliver it.

Doesn't mean people *have* to listen to it or believe it.
 
Beck sarcastically remarks the New York Times must have "creditable firm solid proof" in reference to his article.

How unreasonable of him???

Then he presents this statement, "Piven wants to overwhelm the system and bring about the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with impossible demands and bring on economic collapse." as fact without any kind of "creditable firm solid proof"

You are right... Unless of course you read her very own words. Whether she wrote that plan 40 years ago, or 40 days ago, the woman has never denounced that plan, or backed away from it in any way.

I don't know who Piven is and I don't really care, but if what Beck is saying is without any proof, how is it anything other than a lie?

The proof is in her own words... When a person makes statements and offers solutions to the problems they perceive exist, unless they retract or denounce them, shouldn't that person be held accountable for those statements?

That's what Beck does... He holds progressives like Ms. Piven and others to their very own words and statements.
 
Only that ass of a man Beck would do something like that. I really hate him. With a passion. I would punch him if I was given the opportunity.

You need to change that lean to "Very Liberal".
 
How unreasonable of him???

You are right... Unless of course you read her very own words. Whether she wrote that plan 40 years ago, or 40 days ago, the woman has never denounced that plan, or backed away from it in any way.

The proof is in her own words... When a person makes statements and offers solutions to the problems they perceive exist, unless they retract or denounce them, shouldn't that person be held accountable for those statements?

That's what Beck does... He holds progressives like Ms. Piven and others to their very own words and statements.

Nothing wrong with proof, but damn if this lady really wrote and created a plan to destroy capitalism and overthrow the US government and it was that big of a deal I don't think the NY Times would support her so much. And couldn't Beck quote more from that in his show? Maybe he did which I'm sure you will say he did because in only watched that 10 minute clip.

I really don't care about Beck, the whole basis of his existance is being the biggest loudest most far out guy he can be to attract viewers. I just hate that he's become a news item in himself.
 
That's why I suggested "Very Liberal"... Unless there's a "Communist" option there.

There isn't. I will never label myself a liberal. Liberalism is still in the realm of capitalism. I'm satisfied with "Other."
 
There isn't. I will never label myself a liberal. Liberalism is still in the realm of capitalism. I'm satisfied with "Other."

It takes becoming a communist to realize that I guess. But I have to retract my comment about you not inciting violence, violence is critical part of communism. Unless of course you've got your own communist theories or follow a less traditional communist belief of achieving a communist society, but looking at your sig I'm going to have to say you're a fan of violence in some regard for political gains.
 
It takes becoming a communist to realize that I guess. But I have to retract my comment about you not inciting violence, violence is critical part of communism. Unless of course you've got your own communist theories or follow a less traditional communist belief of achieving a communist society, but looking at your sig I'm going to have to say you're a fan of violence in some regard for political gains.

LOL - which equates communism and Lenin with 'humanity'
 
It takes becoming a communist to realize that I guess. But I have to retract my comment about you not inciting violence, violence is critical part of communism. Unless of course you've got your own communist theories or follow a less traditional communist belief of achieving a communist society, but looking at your sig I'm going to have to say you're a fan of violence in some regard for political gains.


Not at all. I'm a pacifist. And yes I do have my own theories of Communism.
 
Nothing wrong with proof, but damn if this lady really wrote and created a plan to destroy capitalism and overthrow the US government and it was that big of a deal I don't think the NY Times would support her so much.

My God... You're talking about the NY Times here... They love progressives like her, and she did write it with her late husband.

And couldn't Beck quote more from that in his show? Maybe he did which I'm sure you will say he did because in only watched that 10 minute clip.

He did... In fact he has talked about that plan several times over the last 2 years. What brought her back onto Beck's radar screen was a recent video of her calling for the unemployed to stage protests, and saying that adopting the tactics that Greek protesters have been using might be a good strategy. In other words, she was saying that violent protests might be a good idea.

I really don't care about Beck, the whole basis of his existance is being the biggest loudest most far out guy he can be to attract viewers. I just hate that he's become a news item in himself.

His content drives the left crazy, because he uses peoples own words to expose who they are and what they believe in.
 
What is wrong with Glenn Beck? He has attacked this professor to the point that she is now getting death threats, and when confronted, he makes a joke about it.

He's an unstable idiot.

Have Republicans/conservatives lost all sense of civility? All sense of what is right and wrong? It sure seems so. And, if this Prof Piven happens to end up dead one day, I am sure the majority of Reps/cons will all claim they had absolutely nothing to do with it!

Not the entire GOP. But the really loud ones who love to get on TV, yes, they have no class and no sense of civility.
 
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