Day two:
I get that they are against the budget. What are they for?
I get that they are against the budget. What are they for?
07 June 2011
Cakes and Circuses: stupid cable, BECK liveblogging 7 June 2011
My cable is choppy right now, so liveblogging Beck will be a nightmare.
Weiner. Everyone's favorite topic. Chalkboard.
Studio Audience.
We're gonna play a game called Newsroom. Should a story be on the air.
DUN DUN DEHN DUN
I'm proud to be built like a big bag of marshmallows -- no women throwing themselves at me. You'd think the same would be true for Anthony Weiner.
Said on the radio today that I feel bad for Weiner. He has fallen into the internet trap. Blackhole. It is good/bad simultaneously. You can choose, he chose incorrectly.
You are the newsroom director, which story do you put up?
- the latest pic of Weiner (barechested) OR
- the housing market of 2011 being worse than the great depression
- revealing details about weiner OR
- the revelation that geithner doled out billions secretly to his favorite banks
(at a special interest rate -.01%)
- weiner's chest
- china pumping money into <missed the rest>
chalkboard headline list -- the stuff not being covered while we focus on weiner
china/bonds
us weak dollar policy
china pumps big money into latin america
china sees risks in holding excessive US
china euro food companies
great recession could turn into great depression
unemployment
geithner & goldman: thick as thieves
here are the weiner stories, here are all the "we're screwed stories". what are the weiner stories telling us?
- excited, titillates
- watch the other hand
me: illusion that we have control
- would rather watch someone else suffer than realize that we're suffering, too
- american idealization has gotten to the point of serious competitive nonsense
writes on chalkboard: circuses
"cakes and circuses", are you familiar with that?
it's how the emperors used to control rome.
cake: food stamps.
what are ya gonna do about weiner? you gonna call him? seriously. NOTHING.
we're laughing because there's nothing else we can do. it's not funny. horribly tragic. he's putting our country on the ropes. why? he coulda been blackmailed, you're telling me that he didn't endanger the lives of his wife and people around him. look what he did for 3, 4, 5 days. looked us in the eyes and lied. we laugh because what else are we gonna do.
audience: don't mind what he did. mind that he lied, hijacked our hope. now he's told the truth, and it's supposed to be okay. if we can't believe him as a person, how can we believe him as a politician
audience: i mind what he did. immoral. this was really, really bad judgement. <audience giggles>
beck: how can you trust a guy in congress who is so stupid to do this stuff?
A. how can you trust him when he says "health care is good"
B. how can you trust him
C. how can you believe that this guy hasn't been compromised
audience: from a court perspective, once someone lies, everything they've previously said is useless.
audience: good/evil, morality. there's a lot of people living in a bubble who just don't care about what's going on in the world. people don't believe your picture. there's a group o
chalkboard: beck writes CONTROL over headline list (this or that game) on chalkboard.
who ever has power controls you
COMMERCIAL
it is damn hard to catch the words while my cable goes in and out. sorry, folks.
Back!
Hello, America.
Now we go to this chalkboard, to the other headlines (non-Weiner).
US funding for promises lacks by trillions
7.something trillion dollars behind now
you take every dollar made for an entire year from the entire world. it's about 55 trillion. that's how far behind we are.
there will be civil unrest -- the economy. "civil unrest is imminent." someone said.
who thinks this is true?
me: raises hand
beck: why?
me: i live in madison
audience member: well, just look at madison, wisconsin
me: HA!
beck mention the coming insurrection book, "hey, look what's happening in greece!"
audience: 40% of the country on entitlements... when the world goes under, what are they gonna do?
beck: what are we gonna do?
story about lima, latin america. manufacturing plants. food prices are gonna go up. anyone shocked?
what's happening with food? ecoli. what's that gonna do to food prices.
look at all of these stories. dollar going down, food prices high, imminent riots according to james someone, etc etc. what do these stories tell us?
audience: perhaps we should prepare
beck: prepare.. for what? the stories tell us Trouble is Coming. what should we do? Prepare for Trouble. you're the POTUS, what would you do? us is bankrupt, the world is on fire, food shortages are coming... what do you do?
audience: stop spending
audience: fiscal discipline
audience: warn your people, tell them to prepare (beck has her stand up to say this)
how do you do that? you do it because it's your job to protect the people of the united states..
COMMERCIAL
note: James Carville "Democratic Strategist" is the quoted guy. http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/06/carville-2012-could-be-very-rough-for-obama-says-civil-unrest-imminently-possible/
“You know, look — this is a humanitarian — you know, you’re smart enough to see this,” Carville said. “People, you know, if it continues, we’re going to start to see civil unrest in this country. I hate to say that, but I think it’s imminently possible.”
BACK!
Instead of talking about Weiner, let's look at how it could be affecting our lives. It's bad, but there's nothing we can really do about him. But that's the headline that people are focusing on.
Then you look at the other headlines... if you're POTUS, what do you do? warn them. What would you do to do that, how would you do that?
- food prices going up, buy some food
- pay down your debt as much as you can
- have extra in your sock drawers
what does POTUS do when he takes the oath? say he'll protect the constitution
Who thinks our way of life is at stake?
If i'm the president, what does alqueda do? chop the head off the snake, another head pops up. tell people to know the constitution.
if your president, wouldn't you also say to read the founders, know the documents.
Beck's writing on chalkboard, i can't see it thru the fuzz.
Why do we wait around for permission, for someone else.
Connor, audience member, from Fairfield University: How do we protect ourselves from the government [causing it?]
2nd ammendment. #2. what does that imply? you are in charge. you are the guardians of liberty. you have the right to protect yourselves.
i ain't going down without a fight.
if everyone in your family says you're crazy, who cares.
Beck's family members got 6 months to a year's worth of food. they thought he was batty. who cares?
audience: how do you get people off the fence. they're comfortable over there.
beck. i've given up. they like the ride.
SE Cupp: politicians are just in it for the game. washington was embarrassed to have innaugaural balls thrown in his honor. our standards are low now.
forget about the people on the ferris wheel. you ride too much, you'll throw up.
my family, we're moving on.
COMMERCIAL
Guys on stage. Beck and SE Cupp chat in audience "do you know any of these guys?"
They're all college students, and they're "looking terrified". Beck is looking for comparisons between 1930s and today. You guys are in school today, let's see what's being taught.
chalkboard, line down the middle, the kids (a few girls, mostly guys) are writing.
Beck is whispering something about communists, socialists, "they're working hard",
You have 30 seconds, 'cos we're bored to tears over here.
Can anybody tell me what you would put up here?
audience: failed socialism, government something, dustbowl, anti-jew
Let's see what you have:
stock market double dip
inflation
unemployment
food shortage
dustbowl
govt expansion -- FDR/ Obamacare
excessive regulation
entitlements
tyrants abroad
COMMERCIAL
is history repeating itself? yes. should we learn from it? yes, or we're doomed to repeat it.
chalkboard talk. stuff with arrows. looks like good stuff, but he's talking to quickly for me to catch any of it.
COMMERCIAL
i am looking forward to trying to rewatch this on the overnight cycle. with the heatwave, i don't know if i'll have the brainpower left to do it. looking forward to next week, when i'll have a clearer connection + DVR
BACK!
Stay in touch with me this summer. Go to Glennbeck.com to find out how to do that.
DONE.
I presume he's talking about GBTV, and I presume it's a contract violation to promote it on his current show. Douchebags.
note: it appears the phrase is "bread and circuses"
Weiner. Everyone's favorite topic. Chalkboard.
Studio Audience.
We're gonna play a game called Newsroom. Should a story be on the air.
DUN DUN DEHN DUN
I'm proud to be built like a big bag of marshmallows -- no women throwing themselves at me. You'd think the same would be true for Anthony Weiner.
Said on the radio today that I feel bad for Weiner. He has fallen into the internet trap. Blackhole. It is good/bad simultaneously. You can choose, he chose incorrectly.
You are the newsroom director, which story do you put up?
- the latest pic of Weiner (barechested) OR
- the housing market of 2011 being worse than the great depression
- revealing details about weiner OR
- the revelation that geithner doled out billions secretly to his favorite banks
(at a special interest rate -.01%)
- weiner's chest
- china pumping money into <missed the rest>
chalkboard headline list -- the stuff not being covered while we focus on weiner
china/bonds
us weak dollar policy
china pumps big money into latin america
china sees risks in holding excessive US
china euro food companies
great recession could turn into great depression
unemployment
geithner & goldman: thick as thieves
here are the weiner stories, here are all the "we're screwed stories". what are the weiner stories telling us?
- excited, titillates
- watch the other hand
me: illusion that we have control
- would rather watch someone else suffer than realize that we're suffering, too
- american idealization has gotten to the point of serious competitive nonsense
writes on chalkboard: circuses
"cakes and circuses", are you familiar with that?
it's how the emperors used to control rome.
cake: food stamps.
what are ya gonna do about weiner? you gonna call him? seriously. NOTHING.
we're laughing because there's nothing else we can do. it's not funny. horribly tragic. he's putting our country on the ropes. why? he coulda been blackmailed, you're telling me that he didn't endanger the lives of his wife and people around him. look what he did for 3, 4, 5 days. looked us in the eyes and lied. we laugh because what else are we gonna do.
audience: don't mind what he did. mind that he lied, hijacked our hope. now he's told the truth, and it's supposed to be okay. if we can't believe him as a person, how can we believe him as a politician
audience: i mind what he did. immoral. this was really, really bad judgement. <audience giggles>
beck: how can you trust a guy in congress who is so stupid to do this stuff?
A. how can you trust him when he says "health care is good"
B. how can you trust him
C. how can you believe that this guy hasn't been compromised
audience: from a court perspective, once someone lies, everything they've previously said is useless.
audience: good/evil, morality. there's a lot of people living in a bubble who just don't care about what's going on in the world. people don't believe your picture. there's a group o
chalkboard: beck writes CONTROL over headline list (this or that game) on chalkboard.
who ever has power controls you
COMMERCIAL
it is damn hard to catch the words while my cable goes in and out. sorry, folks.
Back!
Hello, America.
Now we go to this chalkboard, to the other headlines (non-Weiner).
US funding for promises lacks by trillions
7.something trillion dollars behind now
you take every dollar made for an entire year from the entire world. it's about 55 trillion. that's how far behind we are.
there will be civil unrest -- the economy. "civil unrest is imminent." someone said.
who thinks this is true?
me: raises hand
beck: why?
me: i live in madison
audience member: well, just look at madison, wisconsin
me: HA!
beck mention the coming insurrection book, "hey, look what's happening in greece!"
audience: 40% of the country on entitlements... when the world goes under, what are they gonna do?
beck: what are we gonna do?
story about lima, latin america. manufacturing plants. food prices are gonna go up. anyone shocked?
what's happening with food? ecoli. what's that gonna do to food prices.
look at all of these stories. dollar going down, food prices high, imminent riots according to james someone, etc etc. what do these stories tell us?
audience: perhaps we should prepare
beck: prepare.. for what? the stories tell us Trouble is Coming. what should we do? Prepare for Trouble. you're the POTUS, what would you do? us is bankrupt, the world is on fire, food shortages are coming... what do you do?
audience: stop spending
audience: fiscal discipline
audience: warn your people, tell them to prepare (beck has her stand up to say this)
how do you do that? you do it because it's your job to protect the people of the united states..
COMMERCIAL
note: James Carville "Democratic Strategist" is the quoted guy. http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/06/carville-2012-could-be-very-rough-for-obama-says-civil-unrest-imminently-possible/
“You know, look — this is a humanitarian — you know, you’re smart enough to see this,” Carville said. “People, you know, if it continues, we’re going to start to see civil unrest in this country. I hate to say that, but I think it’s imminently possible.”
BACK!
Instead of talking about Weiner, let's look at how it could be affecting our lives. It's bad, but there's nothing we can really do about him. But that's the headline that people are focusing on.
Then you look at the other headlines... if you're POTUS, what do you do? warn them. What would you do to do that, how would you do that?
- food prices going up, buy some food
- pay down your debt as much as you can
- have extra in your sock drawers
what does POTUS do when he takes the oath? say he'll protect the constitution
Who thinks our way of life is at stake?
If i'm the president, what does alqueda do? chop the head off the snake, another head pops up. tell people to know the constitution.
if your president, wouldn't you also say to read the founders, know the documents.
Beck's writing on chalkboard, i can't see it thru the fuzz.
Why do we wait around for permission, for someone else.
Connor, audience member, from Fairfield University: How do we protect ourselves from the government [causing it?]
2nd ammendment. #2. what does that imply? you are in charge. you are the guardians of liberty. you have the right to protect yourselves.
i ain't going down without a fight.
if everyone in your family says you're crazy, who cares.
Beck's family members got 6 months to a year's worth of food. they thought he was batty. who cares?
audience: how do you get people off the fence. they're comfortable over there.
beck. i've given up. they like the ride.
SE Cupp: politicians are just in it for the game. washington was embarrassed to have innaugaural balls thrown in his honor. our standards are low now.
forget about the people on the ferris wheel. you ride too much, you'll throw up.
my family, we're moving on.
COMMERCIAL
Guys on stage. Beck and SE Cupp chat in audience "do you know any of these guys?"
They're all college students, and they're "looking terrified". Beck is looking for comparisons between 1930s and today. You guys are in school today, let's see what's being taught.
chalkboard, line down the middle, the kids (a few girls, mostly guys) are writing.
Beck is whispering something about communists, socialists, "they're working hard",
You have 30 seconds, 'cos we're bored to tears over here.
Can anybody tell me what you would put up here?
audience: failed socialism, government something, dustbowl, anti-jew
Let's see what you have:
stock market double dip
inflation
unemployment
food shortage
dustbowl
govt expansion -- FDR/ Obamacare
excessive regulation
entitlements
tyrants abroad
COMMERCIAL
is history repeating itself? yes. should we learn from it? yes, or we're doomed to repeat it.
chalkboard talk. stuff with arrows. looks like good stuff, but he's talking to quickly for me to catch any of it.
COMMERCIAL
i am looking forward to trying to rewatch this on the overnight cycle. with the heatwave, i don't know if i'll have the brainpower left to do it. looking forward to next week, when i'll have a clearer connection + DVR
BACK!
Stay in touch with me this summer. Go to Glennbeck.com to find out how to do that.
DONE.
I presume he's talking about GBTV, and I presume it's a contract violation to promote it on his current show. Douchebags.
note: it appears the phrase is "bread and circuses"
Obama Two: Electric Boogaloo
2012 is drawing closer. The economy is ugly. The Middle East is on fire. They're flicking matches in Europe. The nation is swimming in debt. Unemployment is back above 9%. Gas prices are sucking the life out of the economy. Obamacare is a disaster. Obama promised us the the moon, and we've been waiting in the dark.
According to USA Today, Obama is looking for a new image. Obama-2008's Hope!and!Change! has hit a wall, as nothing has changed and we've run out of hope. Apparently, the New Obama is running around telling people that he just needs more time.
Dude should just take responsibility. Say, "Hey. I know I promised you things like, oh, eliminating the national debt within a year. The plans I had to do everything were sound... but you get additional information once you take office, and with that new information, I've had to change course. Here's the good news: I have steered a new course, and real change IS possible. Our situation is just too intense to manage in four years. I've made mistakes. I recognize that. But I have new plans to change the world. Vote in a new guy, and that person is going to be in the same situation I was in 2008 -- grand ideas that can never work once you learn the secret government stuff that only a president knows. We shouldn't start over again, America. Let's stay the course."
To an extent, he is saying this. Except with none of the accountability for having messed stuff up and not fulfilled promises.
Telling people that it's not as bad as it is, asking them to believe in him even though there's no proof that they should, and pointing to some unknown utopia that he will eventually lead us towards... Actually, that sounds a lot like Obama 1.0.
Can't wait for 2012.
According to USA Today, Obama is looking for a new image. Obama-2008's Hope!and!Change! has hit a wall, as nothing has changed and we've run out of hope. Apparently, the New Obama is running around telling people that he just needs more time.
Dude should just take responsibility. Say, "Hey. I know I promised you things like, oh, eliminating the national debt within a year. The plans I had to do everything were sound... but you get additional information once you take office, and with that new information, I've had to change course. Here's the good news: I have steered a new course, and real change IS possible. Our situation is just too intense to manage in four years. I've made mistakes. I recognize that. But I have new plans to change the world. Vote in a new guy, and that person is going to be in the same situation I was in 2008 -- grand ideas that can never work once you learn the secret government stuff that only a president knows. We shouldn't start over again, America. Let's stay the course."
To an extent, he is saying this. Except with none of the accountability for having messed stuff up and not fulfilled promises.
Telling people that it's not as bad as it is, asking them to believe in him even though there's no proof that they should, and pointing to some unknown utopia that he will eventually lead us towards... Actually, that sounds a lot like Obama 1.0.
Can't wait for 2012.
GBTV
Beck's doing a new daily show online, on his new internetwork, GBTV. A two-hour show. I'm beside myself with glee. The only downside: it launches in September. (What are we supposed to do to bridge the summer gap? Sigh.)
Ah, but at least there will be a "launch event" on July 8th.
http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/06/06/glenn-beck-and-mercury-radio-arts-announce-gbtv-home-of-glenns-new-two-hour-show/
http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/06/06/glenn-beck-and-mercury-radio-arts-announce-gbtv-home-of-glenns-new-two-hour-show/
Andrew Breitbart Hijacks Weiner
Andrew Breibart took the mic not knowing that the cameras were rolling. And he owned the room
"The media says Breitbart lies, Breitbart lies, Breitbart lies... Give me one example of a provable lie. One. One. Journalists? One. Put your reputation on the line here. One provable lie."
*crickets*
I love this man.
*crickets*
I love this man.
When Beck leaves Fox, I want Breitbart to take his old slot.
06 June 2011
Hitler Redux: common enemies, patsies, Israel, and Palestine
Have you noticed how the Arab Spring includes angry mobs screaming for violence and death to Jews? Have you noticed that Palestine keeps popping up, too? See, they're not screaming out against the Jews, they're not fighting against the Jews. They're fighting for Palestine. And if thousands or millions of Jews are killed in the process, well, that's what they really wanted an unfortunate consequence of fighting the good fight.
I've gotten ahead of myself, so let's back up and start with the master propagandist himself.
Hitler was a master at using communication to unite a people. Propaganda? Yes. Uniting a people for a larger, nefarious goal? Of course. But nonetheless, he masterfully communicated to (with) the Germans and united them. His root message: blaming everything on an Other. I'm talking about the Jews, of course.
The "common enemy" message is among the strongest unifying messages. Just consider the way sports fans unite. It's not that the Bears are the best team in the history of the world. It's not even that the Bears are better than all of those other teams... It's that the Bears are better than the Packers, the Vikings, etc. And the Bears fans are never more united than when they play those damn cheeseheads. (Hell, during the last big Bears/Packers game, the governors of each state had a highly publicized bet.)
Implied within the common enemy argument is that the opponent is "evil". [A note about the term evil. I use the term as an atheist, and I view evil in an amoral manner. Personally, I have a difficult time with people who discuss good and evil in black and white terms; I find that usually dilutes the intellectual base of their message. The term good has equally difficult problems. But I think we can all agree on some things being more/less preferable, more/less positive/negative. On that style of spectrum, imagine it running from black through gray to white. One end is Good. The other is Evil. 'Nough said?]
Also implied within the common enemy argument is that, as opposed to the enemy, the in-group is "good". Fighting against the enemy promotes the well-being of the better group, but the act of fighting is, on its own, not only promoting good, but good all on its own.
That was then. That was a time when Hitler published Mein Kampf in 1925 and made it available all over the world. By 1938, it had been published multiple times in multiple translations in America. But the media was different then. People didin't listen to news while they drove to work. People didn't have news available 24/7. There was no social media. Now people are much more careful with their words.
Now, people have to consider not only how to influence their target audience, but they must consider how their message will be perceived by the rest of the world. The message must be interwoven. Outright demonization is dangerous, because others could denounce your message and influence your audience.
I've often thought about how a modern day Hitler would have to function. I contend that the common enemy tactic is still very strong, but a new component must be added for full efficacy in the modern technoworld. It's not enough to have "the good" = you, your fight, the action of fighting. You must also have a "good cause" for which you fight: a cause that is separate from your own goals and ideology.
Looking at the Tea Party, as an example, let's be honest. This group came about as a reaction to/against Obama and the Democrat party. It wasn't enough to just find a common enemy and unite under anti-Obama/pro-conservative fiscal values. They also have a "good cause": liberty. They fight their fight not just for their own betterment, not just for lower taxes and smaller government, but to promote founding American principles like liberty.
I'm not a Tea Party hater, and I do not mean to imply that some nefarious group within the Tea Party plotted out these actions. Hitler, too, did not take Burke's thoughts about the common enemy and plot out a power grab based on Burkean ideology. (He couldn't have; Burke noted the effects of the common enemy usage after reading Mein Kampf.) What I am saying: using these techniques are powerful and effective.
On a world scale and with Hitler on the brain, I've often wondered what a modern Hitler would look like. What rhetorical techniques would be used? How would he accomplish his goals while the whole world watches? How does one unite a people against a common enemy and dodge worldwide spanking for demonizing a people?
Bin Laden tried to rally a people ala Hitler, but his approach only went so far. The foundation was faulty. What could he have done differently? What were his mistakes? What did others learn to do and not do?
Here's what I think.
The common enemy method employs a scapegoat. The modern day Hitler needs to pair the scapegoat with a patsy: a people or cause, other than the main group, who is "good". Fighting for them is good. It's fighting the good fight.
Thus, I present to you, Israel and Palestine. You have extremist Muslims with the common enemy of Israel ("Little Satan") and America ("Great Satan"). Bin Laden showed how difficult it is to take down America, so it would make sense to first focus attention on Israel. Wouldn't ya know it, there also happens to be far too many people who hate the Jews. There ya go, a scapegoat. A common enemy. But the world won't sit back and allow another holocaust to happen. (Or so you would think.) How to use the scapegoat while hiding your motives? Find a patsy. The enemy of the enemy is my friend. Hello, Palestine.
The "New Hitler" may indeed be using old school communication (propaganda) tactics while adding a new twist: the patsy, Palestine.
They're not fighting against the Jews. They're fighting for Palestine. And if thousands or millions of Jews are killed in the process, well, that'swhat they really wanted an unfortunate consequence of fighting the good fight.
I've gotten ahead of myself, so let's back up and start with the master propagandist himself.
Hitler was a master at using communication to unite a people. Propaganda? Yes. Uniting a people for a larger, nefarious goal? Of course. But nonetheless, he masterfully communicated to (with) the Germans and united them. His root message: blaming everything on an Other. I'm talking about the Jews, of course.
The "common enemy" message is among the strongest unifying messages. Just consider the way sports fans unite. It's not that the Bears are the best team in the history of the world. It's not even that the Bears are better than all of those other teams... It's that the Bears are better than the Packers, the Vikings, etc. And the Bears fans are never more united than when they play those damn cheeseheads. (Hell, during the last big Bears/Packers game, the governors of each state had a highly publicized bet.)
Implied within the common enemy argument is that the opponent is "evil". [A note about the term evil. I use the term as an atheist, and I view evil in an amoral manner. Personally, I have a difficult time with people who discuss good and evil in black and white terms; I find that usually dilutes the intellectual base of their message. The term good has equally difficult problems. But I think we can all agree on some things being more/less preferable, more/less positive/negative. On that style of spectrum, imagine it running from black through gray to white. One end is Good. The other is Evil. 'Nough said?]
Also implied within the common enemy argument is that, as opposed to the enemy, the in-group is "good". Fighting against the enemy promotes the well-being of the better group, but the act of fighting is, on its own, not only promoting good, but good all on its own.
That was then. That was a time when Hitler published Mein Kampf in 1925 and made it available all over the world. By 1938, it had been published multiple times in multiple translations in America. But the media was different then. People didin't listen to news while they drove to work. People didn't have news available 24/7. There was no social media. Now people are much more careful with their words.
Now, people have to consider not only how to influence their target audience, but they must consider how their message will be perceived by the rest of the world. The message must be interwoven. Outright demonization is dangerous, because others could denounce your message and influence your audience.
I've often thought about how a modern day Hitler would have to function. I contend that the common enemy tactic is still very strong, but a new component must be added for full efficacy in the modern technoworld. It's not enough to have "the good" = you, your fight, the action of fighting. You must also have a "good cause" for which you fight: a cause that is separate from your own goals and ideology.
Looking at the Tea Party, as an example, let's be honest. This group came about as a reaction to/against Obama and the Democrat party. It wasn't enough to just find a common enemy and unite under anti-Obama/pro-conservative fiscal values. They also have a "good cause": liberty. They fight their fight not just for their own betterment, not just for lower taxes and smaller government, but to promote founding American principles like liberty.
I'm not a Tea Party hater, and I do not mean to imply that some nefarious group within the Tea Party plotted out these actions. Hitler, too, did not take Burke's thoughts about the common enemy and plot out a power grab based on Burkean ideology. (He couldn't have; Burke noted the effects of the common enemy usage after reading Mein Kampf.) What I am saying: using these techniques are powerful and effective.
On a world scale and with Hitler on the brain, I've often wondered what a modern Hitler would look like. What rhetorical techniques would be used? How would he accomplish his goals while the whole world watches? How does one unite a people against a common enemy and dodge worldwide spanking for demonizing a people?
Bin Laden tried to rally a people ala Hitler, but his approach only went so far. The foundation was faulty. What could he have done differently? What were his mistakes? What did others learn to do and not do?
Here's what I think.
The common enemy method employs a scapegoat. The modern day Hitler needs to pair the scapegoat with a patsy: a people or cause, other than the main group, who is "good". Fighting for them is good. It's fighting the good fight.
Thus, I present to you, Israel and Palestine. You have extremist Muslims with the common enemy of Israel ("Little Satan") and America ("Great Satan"). Bin Laden showed how difficult it is to take down America, so it would make sense to first focus attention on Israel. Wouldn't ya know it, there also happens to be far too many people who hate the Jews. There ya go, a scapegoat. A common enemy. But the world won't sit back and allow another holocaust to happen. (Or so you would think.) How to use the scapegoat while hiding your motives? Find a patsy. The enemy of the enemy is my friend. Hello, Palestine.
The "New Hitler" may indeed be using old school communication (propaganda) tactics while adding a new twist: the patsy, Palestine.
They're not fighting against the Jews. They're fighting for Palestine. And if thousands or millions of Jews are killed in the process, well, that's
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