glenn beck Archives - Revolutionary Misfit

I’ll admit “the news” can be pretty addicting.

But it pays to remember what the underlying objective of nonstop “news”, by the likes of CNN, Fox and others, is…

making money.

Don’t get fooled into believing otherwise.

Yesterday, I got involved in a Facebook comment string on a post about how Obama was criticized, especially by Fox News, for failing to attend a rally in Paris in solidarity against the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack.

My take on the matter was…WTF cares!

And really, I could say that about a lot of things that masquerade as news these days.

I especially like to pick on Fox.

Why?

Because they don’t even put up much of an effort towards being a legitimate news channel.

It’s very hard for me to take Fox News serious…and the same goes for the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck’s TheBlaze.

Just take a look at the websites of Limbaugh and Beck.

What seems to be the objective there…to enlighten their readers with good and useful information, or simply to make Beck and Limbaugh more money?

Both sites are massive eyesores…

Littered with ads trying to sell everything from guns and ammo to identity theft protection.

Don’t Rush and Glenn already have enough fucking money not to have to distract their readers with relentless ads about stuff no one really needs.

No, of course not…there’s never enough, right?

You see, it’s not about the message…it’s about the money.

I believe all these guys, and especially Fox news, foment our worst fears and prejudices because they know that’s what drives ratings.

And those ratings make the paychecks of O’Reilly and Hannity larger, and ultimately inflate the wealth of the Newscorp billionaire owner, Rupert Murdoch.

That, IMHO, is the real purpose behind the existence of Fox News, as well as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck…

And in pursuit of that purpose, they do major harm to people and planet.

How?

Well, a particular case in point is the extent to which they add to the absolute ignorance that is global warming denial.

And as their massive audiences fall prey to this insanity, the more certain Congressman are emboldened to remain in the pockets of big oil and block any legislative attempt to do something to solve a very serious problem…

Same goes with spiraling wealth inequality, racial strife and other divisive issues of our day.

People and the planet we live on are thus threatened by all this nonsense in the name of “news” dissemination profiteering.

This is serious stuff folks.

If Rush or Beck really wanted to get their messages across, perhaps they could take the lead of one of my favorite bloggers…

Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net.

Check out his site. See any adds? See anything at all other than the bare message that he’s presenting to his reading audience.

It’s not that Leo doesn’t need to make a living…hell, he’s got a wife and 6 kids!

But to Leo, what’s more important is improving the quality of life of his readers…making the world a better place…not making money.

And he does just fine with the quarter of a million or so who regularly view his blog.

The Fox News, Beck and Limbaugh approach to “news” presentation reminds me of what Jesus once said about the Pharisees of his day, who he viewed as a threat to the people of Israel…they’re all about (and I paraphrase)…

Straining gnats and swallowing camels.

In other words, they don’t have their attention on, and they’re certainly not trying to direct our attention to, what’s most important.

They have the power at their disposal to make things better, to be impact mindful…

But do they use it that way?

No, instead they try to peddle us garbage and feed on our worst fears, just so they can make an extra million or two.

I’m here to tell you that further increases to their already massive net worths is NOT what’s most important.

They certainly don’t deserve nearly the amount of attention that people give them.

image credit: News Corpse via Compfight cc

I made a decision back in December of last year to get serious about really learning how to do business online. I’d been doing exactly that for some time, but always relying on the usually shitty advice of “experts” when it came to the more cyber-spacial technical aspects. I have learned a great deal since then. One thing my “getting serious” did for me is lead me to guys like Srinivas Rao, who in my opinion is a true pioneer in the online entrepreneurial world.

Something happened recently that is causing me to pause and ask myself…what the f**k? I sense a disturbance in the force. What exactly is going on with this alliance that has suddenly blossomed between Srinivas Rao (my aforementioned online hero) and Glenn Beck, a guy who has been featured prominently in many of my past blog post rants?

What “the beck” is going on here? I believe, however, that having Rao and Beck allied is helping me to understand how to draw a distinction between what I want this site, Revolutionary Misfit, to be about and what others, such as that of Srinivas, are about.

First off, I read the letter that Srini posted to his Facebook Page that he received from Mr. Beck. In it Beck speaks of a radical transformation in world view. I am not exactly sure to what, but almost anything different than his former one would certainly be an improvement. Because his former one was to quickly label any attempt (and I mean ANY) to cure many of the ailments that both people and planet are universally suffering these days as part of an evil progressive conspiracy to subvert “American” world supremacy.

Beck’s views, or at least those he has spouted on Fox News, his radio show, books and other media outlets, have been as diametrically opposed to my personal world-view as one could possibly be. It is the antithesis of impact mindfulness…in my opinion.

Now maybe all that is changing…who knows? But, I doubt it.

So, what to make of Srini and Beck “teaming up” to do…exactly what…I am not sure? Actually, I have no idea whether there will ever be such a “teaming”…but the letter certainly invites one.

Srini’s views purport to be apolitical. Beck’s are, or have been, anything but. This site does not in any shape or form purport to be apolitical. It does propose the shedding of any of the usual labels that folks like Beck would normally be quick to slap upon it. But I do want the site to stand for an ideal…a worldview. And it is hard to untangle worldviews from politics. That worldview is more than a slightly bit impractical I will readily admit. But the only thing being suggested here is that we adopt and execute this worldview where it really counts…between the ears. Since that is where impact has its immediate impetus.

The only thing being suggested here is that we adopt and execute this worldview where it really counts…between the ears. Since that is where impact has its immediate impetus.

This site is not about the way to online entrepreneurial success. It is not a site about you, or me, but about us…the Big US. It is a site that says People matter…the Planet matters…and if ideas that better the condition of either could potentially be branded as radical, as progressive, as socialist, as communist, or as capitalist…it doesn’t matter. What matters is the impact that they can make on bettering the human condition!

That is the proposition on which this site stands and as someone once said…

Either you stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.

Straining Gnats and Swallowing Camels

Standing for Something…

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