Today I was googling around to see how healthcare was going and I ran across something on Media Matters that they caught on Newsmax I think. They (Newsmax) took the page down fairly quickly but the smart people at Media Matters made a copy. (Link below). It had to do with a call from Beck or these Newsmax people to have the US Military stage a coup and take the President. Link at end of piece (to Media Matters)
Fox has always had an audience. This is beyond belief even for them. I am sick of being frightened when I run across this stuff. I am sick of them saying and doing anything and actually picking up more people who believe them every day. I am not against freedom of speech. This is sedition. From Wikipedia: "Sedition is a term of law which refers to overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority as tending toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent (or resistance) to lawful authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws. Seditious words in writing are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interests of sedition."
The full link to Wikipedia is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/...
The irony, of course, is that even if we could have these people jailed it would just rile up the rest of their listeners and we might be worse off. But there has to be some sanity and some reality brought back to our life. We deserve to live in peace. No matter what you think of our President, he is clearly not out to destroy our country.
I know most of the people who participate in and read this blog are wonderful people. I read you every day. But if you know of any blogs that are more universally read I would love to know. First, I would like to save anyone that could be saved from starting to listen to Limbaugh and Beck. I think it's down to a lot of sociopaths who listen now. I would like to get to people before they get hooked on the drama and the sheer madness of it. So if you know of any, I would love to know.
For anyone who watches them, let me make this clear... if you listen to these people, if you follow them and believe them it says something about you. It says that you have a hole that needs to be filled in your life and you need to seek help. I want you to think of the people who are on Fox news. I want you to think about whether or not the people you listen to are so sick that it is hurting you to listen to them.
If you already are predisposed to be addicted to this kind of discussion, they can push you over the edge. You may be giving up the chance to live a normal happy life just by listening to them. I read a comment by a woman who said that she listened to them for fun but what they said was beginning to make sense.
I have gone to several different sites where they list traits of sociopaths. If you are listening to these men and you find that most of what they say qualifies then you should honestly get away from them. I lived for 16 years, growing up with a sociopath. He was also an "evangelical preacher" as there was nothing else anyone would hire him for. What saved me was the most wonderful mother and grandparents that anyone could have. I was protected (as much as possible) from harm by this nutcase.
But I can tell you, I have a first sense... I can spot them a mile away. They are the most slick, often charming, usually well spoken and most sick people on the earth. Their mask slips and it is horrifying to see. One moment their face is normal and then, for a second, you see the monster before they can get it back in place. You would be stunned at some of the people in public office that I can spot as sociopaths. There are a few in Congress.
But at least they are not on the air with an audience where they can do real harm. From what I have read they are often mentally predisposed to this illness and then, usually, a bad childhood, pushes them over the edge. They are not happy, they cannot experience happiness unless they are torturing someone else. They could watch you cut the legs off of a puppy with a pair of scissors and feel nothing (at least the one I was around growing up could).
In a way I was lucky. I chose never to get remotely close to anyone like that again. But it has left it's mark. When I spot someone who is a sociopath, it frightens me and I can literally worry until I am sick. I am known for my kindness and I don't care what it costs, I always make sure others come before me. That is a wonderful thing.
Now, this is what you should think of when you watch the people on Fox. If they fit these types you are just causing yourself great danger if you keep listening to them. They are masters at knowing what to say to scare you into doing exactly what they want. Sane, normal people can turn into virtual sociopaths by their actions.
From Wikipedia again, a pretty good description, but be sure to read the whole page. It really tells about how one person in a family can control and ruin everyone's life:
"The key characteristics of a sociopath include: (1) having no conscience, (2) inability to treat others as human beings, with feelings and rights and (3) inability to learn from experience, from life. One result of this last is gross immaturity, though it may be hidden unless one knows the person well. A sociopath behaves as if he/she were the only person in the whole world and as if everyone else just existed for their benefit and had no existence in their own right. (4) Sociopaths treat other people as toys and hanker after the power to control and hurt their 'nearest and dearest'. (5) Many are monumentally self-important: they may pretend to be millionaires when in reality they are sliding towards financial disaster. (6) Habitual dishonesty. He will charm his way into your life and heart, then take complete advantage of you - your emotions, your finances, your intellect. He will make you think you are the crazy one. Your friends will see right through him. He will isolate you from your friends and possibly your family. He cannot hold a job and will probably commit crimes - theft, fraud, forgery, and spend time in jail or prison. He will abuse drugs or alcohol. He may abuse you." Link is: http://wiki.answers.com/...
I put that one first because it also applies to people who are trying to recruit for fundamentalist churches. They look for needy people, people who seem lonely, confused, with no direction and they move in.
The next one I picked because it emphasizes the fact that they are not mentally ill. They may have some brain abnormality that makes them more susceptible but they are making a choice. They could choose not to do this. But they have such grand illusions about their own importance, and the nothingness of others, they must control as many people as they can. Others are perceived as patsy's and they take great pleasure of making fools of others because they think it shows, further how superior they are. The link is: http://personalitydisorders.suite101...
From the book "The Sociopath Next Door" by Martha Stout a great description of how they feel: http://personalitydisorders.suite101...
To quote:
"Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern of the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken. And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools. Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless. You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience that they seldom even guess at your condition.
In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world. You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences, will most likely remain undiscovered."
And finally my favorite sheer list. A perfect checklist. Sometimes when I know I am going to be watching a sociopath I sit and tick them off to see how many I can find in the space of time I'm watching. (Try it with CNN news for fun.) Or watch someone you think of as being guileless. It is amazing how many of these traits you don't recognize: http://www.mcafee.cc/...
I have never really found a better pure list than this. And the description afterwords is great. A sample of the quesions... even these "related" questions were great...
To Quote"
"Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world"
Finally, while I want you to evaluate for yourself, it helps to know that usually something happened to the person in childhood that may have contributed to the result.
For instance, Glenn Beck, according to different sources had a mother who was severely depressed, divorced and either committed suicide or drowned and another sibling who may have committed suicide while another had a heart attack. Apparently all of this happened while Beck was 13 to 15 and it was during that time he first went on the radio. He tells a different story from the one related at the time and may have made it up to suit his own purposes. He may have also tried and failed suicide.
http://www.salon.com/...
Rush Limbaugh was chubby as a child, he was quiet. One of the traits is that a person has trouble holding a job. Limbaugh may have had 6 to 10 jobs before he was allowed to be himself on the radio. It is only behind that microphone that the personality you see fully emerges. He also had three marriages. But now is the time to pull out all the lists. Listen to this man and what he says. How long can you listen to him without checking off most of the signs (or feeling sick or sad yourself). It is so bad that you cannot imagine a healthy person listening to him.
The human brain develops channels. The more often we think a certain way the more impossible it is to change our thinking. I cannot imagine how horrific it must be to live in Rush Limbaughs mind. How he can do it without being unable to go outside is beyond me. I think it has turned him into the cancer of America. It is a warped growth and it warps the mind of anyone who listens to him. Who are you? If you listen to this all day are you choosing this, is it entertaining or is it feeding some deep need to hate and fear? If so, get some help. There may still be time.
One thing you can say about both Beck and Limbaugh is that by any measure they are two of the most fear mongering, paranoid, bizarre sounding people on the air. Try to imagine, what comes out of their mouth coming from a Jay Rockefeller. It changes everything you think of him and somehow you know that he is just too mentally healthy to indulge in this. Think of any bright happy person you know listening to this. I am unable to do it. I tried once today because of this piece and I couldn't get through it. I saw something from Media Matters about a military coup and that is what started my quest. Can you imagine, sincerely, people who believe that the President is trying to take over America. it is laughable and yet these people seemed serious. It had to do with Beck and something called Newsmax. But they removed it before anyone but Media Matters got it. I love Media Matters!
http://mediamatters.org/...