Glenn Beck is the new face of McCarthyism, not of the KKK.
What's the difference and why does it matter?
Beck's story appeals to the lesser angels of our nature. It is as much myth as fact. The beast he aroused can be fought and weakened by steady diet of rational thought. Beck's die-hard followers are beyond reach, but Beck's movement thrives because it also reaches people who don't know what to believe. Some of these people can be inoculated against Beck by rational discourse and an appeal to common sense.
But to be effective, we have to understand the beast we're fighting.
Beck's beast is the same one aroused by McCarthyism. It is not the same racism and hate of the KKK, though they are all Beck's natural allies. The racism and hate in the Tea Party are byproducts, the hot blood that pumps when the cold heart of this beast is aroused.
The heart of this beast is fear.
The questions are what do people fear, and how does Beck manipulate it?
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