"I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church web site," Beck urged his audience. "If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
Who better to unify the inherent conflict between Randian Capitalism and Christian humility than Glenn Beck?
This was an excellent examination of the man’s psyche. Part of me hopes he doubles down on his brave mission, if only to reveal a special sickness within the heart of American political evolution. But another part, perhaps the realist, recalls Mencken when reminded to never underestimate the willingness of Americans to cast intellect aside in favor of cheap emotional and spiritual reward.
No less than a Mormon, Becks ascendancy seems to fit perfectly into the tapestry of this country’s historical fascination with social and political providence. From Smith to Hubbard, we seem to churn these folk out with frightening regularity. There is certainly nothing new about demagogues or charismatic figureheads, but the simple geological fact of our location, its resources, and political serendipity seem to conspire to bring out a real fervor among our more adventurous citizens.
The moment is ripe for Beck to really start something big. Of course, there a million reasons why this will never happen. But it has before – and yet with less dangerous consequences.
No comments:
Post a Comment