The American Conservative Response As American conservatives scramble to cover their rhetorical asses in the wake of Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Brevik's mass murder of youth involved with his country's Labor Party, we should not be surprised that it is Glenn Beck who has pushed that desperation into the realm of the unbelievable. The former FOX News ranter earlier this week suggested, on his radio show, that the dead at Utøya, who were participating in a Labor Party youth program, reminded him of the infamous Hitler Youth. He called their presence at the camp, "Disturbing". Never mind, of course, that the Labor Party in Norway fought against the Nazis, nor that one of the founders of the party actually survived a concentration camp. It's not like any political groups in the United States ever operate youth camps. Certainly not Beck's sort of conservatives in, say, the John Birch Society. Right? But the Norwegians are trying to play it cool. A former Youth Labor leader, Martin Fredriksen, explained: "Utøya represents some of the finest qualities in a democracy, a place where youth can meet to celebrate democracy and openness, quite the opposite of what the Nazis stood for. Other than that, I do not wish to give Glenn Beck any attention." It is, however, the Liberal Party leader, Sveinung Rotevatn, who offered the best reaction to Beck's personification of American conservatives: "I can't take that kind of comment seriously," he said, "from someone who doesn't know what he is talking about." ____________________ Notes: Boyd, Clark. "Norway's Political Youth Camps". The World. July 28, 2011. TheWorld.org. July 28, 2011. http://www.theworld.org/2011/07/norways-political-youth-camps/
why on earth are norwegians paying attention to beck? or our tv for that matter? do the idiots at fox get airtime in europe?
A spectacular question Possibly. It is also possible that a reporter asked. Because, well, you know, it's kind of a spectacular question: "Good afternoon, sir. I'm Clark Boyd, for BBC and Public Radio International. Could I ask, please, if you have any comment on American radio host Glenn Beck's charge that the camp at Utøya is akin to the Hitler-Jungend?" I mean, really. Even if you know the answer is going to be polite and all, it's a hell of a question, and if you have the opportunity to ask it, wouldn't you?
the implications of boyd's assertions..... That offhand comparison did not go down well in Norway. But beyond all that, most here are baffled as to how Utøya could possibly be equated with a Hitler Youth group. ...seem to indicate a familiarity. that goddamn embarrasses me! i think its just bombastic rhetoric i'd hazard a guess that most have no clue of beck ------------------------------------------- hey these post titles, do you think they might aid in search? y'know, keyword that shit? is that why you do it or just that old habits die hard?
(Insert Title Here) If Beck was a propagandist radio host in Zimbabwe, they probably wouldn't have noticed. But he's an American, so there were probably plenty of people asking the question and making sure the Norwegians heard about it. The bit has been pretty persistent in Google News searches over the last few days; the internet makes it inevitable that such horsepucky will make it across the Pond and find eyes and ears in the Great North. A little from column A, and a little from Column B. Many titles don't search well, because they're standardized: "(Insert Title Here)", "This and That", "Notes Around", &c. Once upon a time, the post titles displayed in the standard view; now I only see them on the advanced reply screen. Hell, I'm typing this in a text editor; I'll remember what the prior post was titled when I see it on the reply screen. But they do help, sometimes. And one day, they might be back in standard display. I'm not sure why we ever turned them off in the first place.
i noticed my old posts make even less sense without the pt to clue one in /chuckle well color me deaf, dumb and blind but i were forgetted the internets
