Glenn Beck has sunk to a new low.

[BreweryYardRat]

I know, I know, you'd have thought it was impossible. So did I.

Then I walked into Barnes and Noble tonight and saw a display of his new book.

The cover photo consists of Beck in a uniform that looks remarkably like a police uniform. (Maybe an outdated police or military dress uniform. Can't tell. Not an expert on that sort of thing.)



Beck's never been a cop. Or a soldier. Or a firefighter. Or anything else that would entitle him to wear a uniform -- which is probably why I don't recognize the style.

I don't care to go to his website and give him ad revenues, but wikipedia confirms this lack of public service: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Beck

This pisses me off.

The paramilitary look -- black t-shirt, camo pants, combat boots -- is one thing. Hell, I've got an outfit like that myself. I wear it to goth clubs...or when I'm in a real nasty mood and don't want to talk to anyone. If he'd put on something like that, I'd raise an eyebrow, but I probably wouldn't give a damn.

If he was in one of those clubs that does re-enactments of WWII battles or something, he could wear a uniform to one of their events, and I wouldn't care.

But to wear a uniform for his cover photo on a nationally-distributed book...that's an implicit suggestion that he's done something that entitles him to wear a uniform. A lot of people (especially the sort likely to read Beck's crap in the first place) subconsciously respect uniforms, and they're going to give greater weight to the words of someone in a uniform than the words of someone not in uniform.

Which means that Beck is engaging in a piece of propaganda/subconscious manipulation that's low, sneaky, shameless, and appalling even for a Republican loon like him.

What next, a suit with the American flag printed on it?

[romantico]

1. not

not only that,but he is wearing creepy make up which makes him look more pale than usual and the dark circles under his eyes.I assume he wants to look scary or intimidating. Lets all say what we are thinking. He is dressed in a SS uniform. I do not understand the connection and had hoped Katie Couric asked him about it. My guess is he is trying to stir the pot and start controversy. The man is a attention whore!

[vadawg]

2. not SS, it looks more like eastern europe during the soviets,

it looks very similar to a lot of the border guards of that era

[Maru Kitteh]

37. The man is

The man is a attention whore!

[WeDidIt]

3. East German Police Uniform

Rank of Unterwechtmeister

[baldguy]

4. Looks like a Soviet-style uniform.

He's casting himself as a commissar? I thought he was a fascist?

[stevedeshazer]

5. He's just a distraction.

This is all just a money-maker for the Cryer.

[Fading Captain]

9. Yep. All he does is move the goalposts in the national debate

So instead of debating about health care, we're debating nonsense

[underpants]

6. Arguing "with" or "FOR" Idiots

Beck calling anyone an idiot is laughable.

Even Hannity would out lean that pile to the tape in an idiot race, if they could remember the directions

[demwing]

7. From the two shiners in the pic, looks like he's loosing

Lesson, never argue with an idiot. If you lose, you lost to an idiot. If you win, well congrats, you beat an idiot.

[Fla_Democrat]

8. Seriously, no one knows??

He is dressed as.... wait for it.... the Book Czar. :rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

10. Captain Binghamton???

[peekaloo]

25. Carlton the Doorman.

[Rex]

11. The Commander of Fools.

[Hawkeye-X]

12. Oh goody. I get to fling this out once again...

[demwing]

13. East Germany - Peoples Police uniform and hat

The hat is spot on, the uniform looks to be a different color. Might be different rank, or division. Is Glenn Beck secretly revealing his Communist sympathies?



http://www.militaria-uniforms.com/W24.htm

[WeDidIt]

18. The only difference between Beck's and yours is rank

Yours shows an Obermeister and Beck's is the lower ranking Unterwechtmesiter.

[tosh]

44. Underwear master??

:rofl:

[mgc1961]

14. I think he's going for a Pinochet look.

Either that or a Stalag 17 guard. Your pick.

[marmar]

15. How to stop "small minds".............

Talk about projection.

[BuyingThyme]

16. Apt title.

[gratuitous]

17. Moonlighting as a doorman

He just didn't have time to change before the photo shoot for the cover. Give the poor guy a break; he's got to scrape by now that all his advertisers have dumped him.

[Jim__]

19. Arguing with idiots - and the picture is of the biggest idiot you could ever argue with - n/t

[thincaboutit]

20. Check out Glenn in this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZEkXbFFz_I

[Zywiec]

21. Plus the backward R is a Cyrillic character

still used in many of the former Soviet block countries.

[blueamy66]

22. Ha.

I saw that too!

USSR

[MrScorpio]

23. That backwards R is the Cyrillic word for "me"

Take from that what you will

[UTUSN]

24. K&R to undo the small mind that UnReKKKed!1 n/t

[Johonny]

26. on the positive side the cover isthe only part of the book

that he did. Some where a ghost writer is employed and can pay his health care bill because some warehouse has enough storage space to store Becks book.

[rvablue]

27. Forget the uniform, what's downright weird about this pic is his complexion.

He looks malnourished, fer chrissakes.

His skin tone is almost greenish and he has those awful brown circles around his eyes.

Given Beck, this is not a mistake or an oversight. It was done on purpose. So use your imagination, what exactly is he trying to subliminally say with that wan palor?

[Critters2]

40. I have dark circles under my eyes. In my case, its genetic.

Every woman on my mom's side of the family has 'em. They get worse after exposure to the sun, so during the summer I look like a raccoon!

So, it's his uniform that I find troubling.

[opihimoimoi]

28. He is attempting to expand his CULT to become bigger than Zitt Butt's

Its So Sad that So Many Suck for his shit....what does it say about this group of peeps living among us?

[PM Martin]

29. He looks like and SS officer.

[Arugula Latte]

30. Yep. And the red and black add to the fascistic impression.

[Luminous Animal]

31. Carry a small packet of pre-cut mustache-size pieces of tape...

on your next trip to the bookstore. Hitler style mustaches, that is.

[PreacherCasey]

32. An uneducated buffoon writes a book called "Arguing With Idiots."

It is a shame that so many in our country respond to this fool's shtick. Beck is laughing all the way to the bank and seems unaware of the damage he is causing.

People like this make me believe that this country is really done for.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gatorboy]

41. "Basically he's calling you all idiotic communists."

Not you then? What does he call you? Love slave?

[RagAss]

34. We can laugh all we want...if this man called for our deaths...most of us would be gone in a week.

[PreacherCasey]

38. That's right. When the shit hits the fan, the people run toward the demagogues.

[anigbrowl]

35. Not really, though I'm sure the content of the book does

The cover is obviously meant as a satire of what he believes characterizes a socialist mindset. I think he's seven kinds of an idiot, but I didn't interpret it the way you did at all, nor do I think most other people would.

[sohndrsmith]

36. I'm confused as to what message he's trying to make: is he supposed to be

"policing" big government politics? Police are civil servants, paid for through state funds/taxes some through federal funding and grants, some both. Hm....

Maybe he's supposed to be a "soldier" at war with big government. Lets see, who provides the costs and funding for the Military...? Hm...

Either way, all I see is really dumb hypocrisy that he must just not "get" because he had to have posed for the photo, or at least signed off on the Photoshop work (which it looks like to me, not that it matters.

[TrogL]

39. The premise is likely "I can't hold my own in a conversation with liberals"

...and will project the problem onto them.

The real issue is that you cannot have a discussion on pretty much any topic with an authoritarian type because you cannot have a discussion with them - they simply don't have the tools.

Their position is pretty much summed up by "I believe what I believe because I believe it."

There's no point in addressing facts - they don't believe in them.

There's no point in addressing flaws in their logic or identify logical fallacies - they won't "get it".

[dmr]

42. If Beck ever met up with a guy like that picture, he'd shit his pants, then go all 'Big Government'

and call the FBI.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

43. Schickelgoofball. n/t

[Swamp Rat]

45. He looks besser in graublau:

:D



Way'at, other rat! :hi:

[JuniperLea]

47. Swampy!

You've done it again!

Sweet!

[Canuckistanian]

46. Besides, what's the point of the uniform?

Is he supposed to be "the authority", bringing order to chaos? Or is he imitating the supposed "dictator-like tendencies" of liberals? It's not clear at all.

Of course, the backwards "R" is supposed to suggest Soviet Russia (although the character is pronounced "ya", not "R").

[n2doc]

48. So he talks to himself?

Somehow I think he is wearing just the "thang" when it comes to RW cocktail party attire...