Cry Me A River
Apparently Glenn Beck has learned a thing or two about "the real meaning of compassion" recently. Thanks to what he refers to as a "botched surgery" and "moments that could have come out of the movie Saw". His tearful, rambling video confessional aired on YouTube and is a pretty much just a teaser for his return to broadcasting (Tune in Monday!).
I don't wish ill on the man. I'm truly sorry to hear that he had a hellacious surgery experience. It happens to people and it's awful! Shit, my friend Sean just posted about how he woke up twice during recent surgery AND might be screwed for insurance to boot. There are numerous reasons why people think the U.S. health care system is fucked up... and why you'll find the US ranked 37th, just above Slovenia by the World Health Organization.
Even not wishing ill on the man, I can't say that I'm finding more than the bare minimum of compassion for him on this issue. I mean, not even six months ago he went on this screed on the quality of health care in the United States (and how evil Michael Moore and the evil Socialists were, essentially, rigging things to unfairly paint US health care in a bad light):
As I watch this I am reminded of the other times Glenn Beck has come to my attention. This is the man who said to Minnesota's Muslim congressman "What I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." This is the guy who characterized the people losing their homes in California's wildfires as "a handful of people who hate America." It's hard, it's really hard, to get all choked up for a guy who can't have compassion for others until something horrible happens to him.
It's a ridiculous Republican stereotype and Beck is only further reinforcing it. Drug addicts are baaaad, until it's one of theirs. Gays are scary, until it's their child. Abortion is evil, until it's their daughter. The government is broken, until they're the ones who need help. Anyone who doesn't agree is a pinko Commie Socialist America-hater who brought their misfortunes on themselves and deserves what they get. Right?
I'd love to hear that Beck really did have an awakening of conscience. I want to believe him when he says about compassion, "I know what it means, I think I can define it now." I'll wait and see what he has to say on Monday.
I don't wish ill on the man. I'm truly sorry to hear that he had a hellacious surgery experience. It happens to people and it's awful! Shit, my friend Sean just posted about how he woke up twice during recent surgery AND might be screwed for insurance to boot. There are numerous reasons why people think the U.S. health care system is fucked up... and why you'll find the US ranked 37th, just above Slovenia by the World Health Organization.
Even not wishing ill on the man, I can't say that I'm finding more than the bare minimum of compassion for him on this issue. I mean, not even six months ago he went on this screed on the quality of health care in the United States (and how evil Michael Moore and the evil Socialists were, essentially, rigging things to unfairly paint US health care in a bad light):
As I watch this I am reminded of the other times Glenn Beck has come to my attention. This is the man who said to Minnesota's Muslim congressman "What I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." This is the guy who characterized the people losing their homes in California's wildfires as "a handful of people who hate America." It's hard, it's really hard, to get all choked up for a guy who can't have compassion for others until something horrible happens to him.
It's a ridiculous Republican stereotype and Beck is only further reinforcing it. Drug addicts are baaaad, until it's one of theirs. Gays are scary, until it's their child. Abortion is evil, until it's their daughter. The government is broken, until they're the ones who need help. Anyone who doesn't agree is a pinko Commie Socialist America-hater who brought their misfortunes on themselves and deserves what they get. Right?
I'd love to hear that Beck really did have an awakening of conscience. I want to believe him when he says about compassion, "I know what it means, I think I can define it now." I'll wait and see what he has to say on Monday.
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