Are Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin as patriotic as they want us to believe? by drugsrus48
(libertarian)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Topic: Debate THIS, THAT, and the OTHER THING
Are Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin as patriotic as they appear to be?by drugsrus48 (libertarian)
THIS- A couple of weeks ago Glenn Beck, on his TV show, was at the blackboard inserting compensation numbers of some of Obama's cohorts while the video in the back ground kept replaying the part of the President's speech relating to earning or making "enough money". The funny thing about this exercise was that (if memory serves me correctly) only Al Gore' earnings topped Beck's income. About the same time a news item on YAHOO.com noted the income and sources of Mr. Beck and our newest America loving, ready to serve patriot, Sarah Palin.
Beck's income was listed as $13 million from print, $10 million from the radio program, $2 million from FOX for the TV deal, $3 million for "events and speaking", and $4 million from "internet". On the website glennbeck.com, you can sign up to be an "insider" for only $5 or so per month OR now you can be an extreme insider for a mere $10 per month, which gives you access to unaired extensions of the radio program and other amenities.
NOW, from my business knowledge, the website's purpose is mainly advertising and marketing of the whole Glenn Beck operation, which would make it a legitimate expense. There are advertisers on the home page who also sponsor the radio and TV programs. I'm sure the website ads are not free bonuses for their support. Glenn states that he "would love to make the insider and insider extreme free, but I just can't afford it". What am I missing here ? ? An operation whose total costs are a tax write-off generates income of $4 million per year and you can't afford to allow free access ???? In my world, if I had $28 million in income from other parts of my business, I would be more than happy if my advertising/marketing arm cost me a million or two. I would be elated if it broke even, and probably find some deserving charity if it made money. So much for trying to emulate the founders.
Sarah, our today's version of Betsy Ross, or on a different level Susan B Anthony, is ready to step up to the plate and serve our country any way she can, as long as she gets paid her asking price. I think it's great that Sarah has been able to dig herself out of the financial hole that was created for her by people making erroneous accusations trying to tarnish her reputation following her being a part of the Republican Presidential ticket. I also think it's a shame that the party failed to step up and help in any way to deflect the bombardment that ultimately led to her stepping out of the Governor's office. I have no problem with her $7 million book deal, or her $1 million FOX news thing. $1 million per episode for the TLC show seems a bit steep as does $100K per speaking engagement, especially when the required private jet or first class air fare and hotel demands are not part of the fee. But she has only made about $12 million in the last ten months with the speaking thing. What a patriot.
THAT- While I disagree with the President on most everything, there is a tendency to agree and press for an answer to the question of "when have you made enough money??" OK the question was posed and rhetorically asked of the Goldman-Sachs thieves, but they aren't the only greedy bunch. They are typical of that whole Wall St. gang that the right side supporters claim that it is Capitalism truly at work. Our system of pocketing all you can and I need more has morphed the ideals of Capitalism. Today's Capitalists are more myopic than Mr. MaGoo, unable to see or care about anything besides the balance in MY account.
How much is enough? ? OK you need to save some for retirement. You surely want to live comfortably in your golden years. Mike Wallace and Andy Rooney are in their nineties and will probably retire about three days before the funeral as will many others who claim no desire to "quit working"
The concept of having enough is much like, on the other end of the spectrum, the concept of doing all you can. When down and out, you have to do all you can to succeed. Success may be measured by a roof over one’s head, food in the pantry, and the bills paid. BUT, all you can do is a finite amount and every person has a different level of all you can do, and sometimes you can run out of "all you can do". At what point do you have "enough" ? Spending $1,000 a day every day , it would take more than 275 years to exhaust $100 million. Given that the current average life span is between 70 and 80 years and besides the young sports stars and thespians, most of those being paid the seven and eight figure salaries are pulling forty years of age behind them, how much do they need ?? OK you should not die broke, and it’s nice to leave something to your descendants, but is it a bad thing if your grandson/daughter gets a paper route or a part time job for some pocket money ? BUT spending $365,000/ year is no simple task either, but there are some lottery winners who have shown that such a feat is more than doable.
THE OTHER THING- So the big question is - What label do we put on Beck and Palin ??? Glenn is doing a service by exposing where our current leadership(?) is trying to take our great nation, kind of playing a modern day Paul Revere on one hand, claiming that if he "lost everything - it wouldn't matter. I've been broke before" ( I think it would). And Sarah is just being that Alaskan hockey mom with a voice, being the voice of John and Jane Q Public, the once silent majority who have finally said "enough of this - we want our country back" . Both while pocketing enough to make the Goldman-Sachs thieves look like nickel slot players. I guess it is all about the money.
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Posted By: Mike Blevins
Date: May 24, 2010 09:46:17 PM
Well, speaking as one who is not particularly fond of either Beck or Palin, I must ask what money has to do with one's patriotism. Our founders were mostly very rich, land-owning gentry. The enthusiastically pledged their own lives, fortunes, and sacred honor in the noble cause of liberty. What could be more patriotic than that? Even with what little I know about Beck and Palin, it doesn't seem reasonable to posit that they are motivated exclusively by a profit motive. Anyway, what's wrong with making money, anyway--LOTS of money? It's the American way! What is liberty FOR if you cannot choose to do that?
Glen Beck in the recent past admitted that he was not particularly political. He considered himself an entertainer. He can make five billion dollars an hour for all I care but what I object to is his distortions and outright lies while piously claiming to love his country so much. People who love their country believe in the truth and in making the effort to understand those with different views so that things can actually get accomplished by reason and civility. Name calling and mis-statements to whip us up are great for ratings and making money but have nothing to do with love of country.
And Sarah Palin, bless her heart, is entitled to make all the money she wants. My objection is that she was using other people's money on personal business while in government and then when things got too uncomfortable, she quit in mid-stream. She is a beautiful, charismatic woman but why conservatives consider her a representative of family values, I will never know. She used taxpayer money for personal expenses and if she couldn't handle the pressure of being governor of a slightly populated state, I don't know how she expects to survive the rigors at the federal government level.
Posted By: Mike Blevins
Date: May 25, 2010 08:12:05 AM
Whimsy,
We're totally on the same page in regard to Palin. As for Beck, I'd be interested in which "distortions and outright lies" you're referring to. Despite all his "libertarian" bloviations, I suspect he's secretly in the pocket of the neocons.
Whimsy1,
You wrote: “his distortions and outright lies while piously claiming to love his country so much.”
When representatives from the white house were asked to list the mistakes Glen was making, they left the meeting. Distortions or slant? Depends on perspective doesn't it.
“Name calling and mis-statements to whip us up are great for ratings and making money but have nothing to do with love of country.”
Socialists, Marxist, Communist, I know these types of labels drive Socialists, Marxist and Communists crazy. They prefer Progressive. That is one reason these labels are forbidden in Congress. Inflammatory demagoguery at it's worse.
“She used taxpayer money for personal expenses” I think it is high time that Sarah was investigated to ascertain if she did in fact commit these acts of embezzlement. Oh! That's right these claims turned out to be distortions or outright lies.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: May 25, 2010 10:55:39 AM
Hi DrugsRus48,
After you determine the proper label for Mr. Beck and Mrs. Palin, then what? Does the label you apply change them in any way?
Also, does it matter if they are patriotic? Anyone can behave in a patriotic manner but how many patriotic behaviors must they exhibit before you can concede their having earned their "patriot badge" from you?
A very common liberal delusion is that one can dismiss input from anyone they can justify labeling as a hypocrite. This is an important component of the progressive divide-and-conquer strategy. The amount of time and energy they waste concocting their personal rationalizing for labeling a hypocrite is staggering. Don't get sucked into that useless past time if you have energy that could be better spent in the constructive defense of liberty.
-Jahfre Fire Eater
