Arguing with Idiots
Why Glenn Beck's New Book Comes Up Short
Alex Heiney
Last Updated: 12/29/09 Section: Books and Arts
Love him or hate him, if somebody mentions Glenn Beck, you're sure to have some sort of opinion about him. In his latest manifesto, Arguing with Idiots, Beck seems to relish the fact that many consider him to be the twice-removed cousin of Satan himself. Rather than placing positive reviews of his book by critics on the back of his book, Beck has gleefully displays the insults of his many detractors (my personal favorite being Keith Obermann's quote, "Only in his wildest dreams could an actual suicide bomber hope to do as much damage to this country [as Glenn Beck]"). Indeed most liberals find every word that comes out of his mouth to be toxic. As one of the more liberal members of the CI staff, I was a little apprehensive about reading a 300 page book by a notorious figure with whom my experience viral videos of him flying into an unhinged, near-tearful rage.
Much to my surprise, I was far more bothered by Beck's tactics of persuasion than I was by his views. Most of the time, he presents logical, quantitative and factual arguments in advancing his views on issues from corporatism to education to illegal immigration. I could engage in a dialogue with him in my mind when I disagreed with his views on the "nanny state" and related to his frustration about how modern teachers' unions stifle our educational system. I even found his sarcastic political jabs funny most of the time. However, as stupid as his critics claim Beck is, even Olbermann couldn't dispute that he is a genius showman.
Beck states that he despises the Republicans and the Democrats. To anybody counting the jokes made at the expense of these political parties, however, about 95% of the time they are centered on Democratic Party insiders and on left-leaning celebrities and pundits. In his chapter titled "America's Energy Future," Beck points out many times the hypocrisy of rich Democrats like Barbara Streisand and Al Gore having environmentally costly private jets and mansions; though it is important to recognize these figures aren't practicing what they preach, it isn't especially relevant to just how worthless corn ethanol is as an alternative fuel.
Much to my surprise, I was far more bothered by Beck's tactics of persuasion than I was by his views. Most of the time, he presents logical, quantitative and factual arguments in advancing his views on issues from corporatism to education to illegal immigration. I could engage in a dialogue with him in my mind when I disagreed with his views on the "nanny state" and related to his frustration about how modern teachers' unions stifle our educational system. I even found his sarcastic political jabs funny most of the time. However, as stupid as his critics claim Beck is, even Olbermann couldn't dispute that he is a genius showman.
Beck states that he despises the Republicans and the Democrats. To anybody counting the jokes made at the expense of these political parties, however, about 95% of the time they are centered on Democratic Party insiders and on left-leaning celebrities and pundits. In his chapter titled "America's Energy Future," Beck points out many times the hypocrisy of rich Democrats like Barbara Streisand and Al Gore having environmentally costly private jets and mansions; though it is important to recognize these figures aren't practicing what they preach, it isn't especially relevant to just how worthless corn ethanol is as an alternative fuel.
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