The title is quite an attention grabber I know but before you post a comment read the whole piece. We in America when given a glimpse into Beckistan don’t seem to understand a lot of what is mainstream there. In Beckistan, we see a land where white southern conservatives are Civil Rights heirs. In Beckistan, a patriotic hacker discredited the scientific community and their global domination plan codenamed “Climate Change”. In Beckistan, the vast left-wing conspiracy is being fought by a few patriots organized into T.E.A. parties. But these obvious aspects of Beckistan seem to be blinding us Americans from seeing something else.
At this point it must be made clear what a dog whistle is. A dog whistle is an item, or in this case a metaphor, that makes a sound only a dog could hear (i.e. people don’t hear anything). Further, it needs to be stated that a large portion, perhaps a majority, of the Religious Right are Dominionists and obviously Christian Reconstructionists. These two points are important, remember them as you continue.
So, when you look at the Glenn Beck program you notice a lot of pseudo-religious nonsense. You also notice quite inflammatory rhetoric. However, a specific obsession of Glenn Beck seems to have flown under the radar. Further, by missing this and other instances of his rhetoric, the non-religious crazies might have missed the parts of a dog whistle and, more importantly, the actual whistle. First, here are the parts of the whistle:
1.) G. Beck’s incendiary attacks on B. Obama such as claiming that he, B. Obama, is a Nazi, Fascist, Communist, etc. However, by seeing the trees are people missing the forest? This part of the whistle, simply put, is that B. Obama is a dictator or, in another words, a tyrant (that word, tyrant, is important).
2.) G. Beck claiming that B. Obama is distorting faith. In particular, and this is the most important part, he is claiming that B. Obama is trying to make people believe not in God but in Government/himself.
3.) G. Beck has also cloaked himself in faith and his pseudo-Christian beliefs (Dominionism and Christian Reconstructionism). Additionally, he has also set up preachers that push this type of pseudo-religion as the only true Christians. For example, he has constantly attacked people like Jim Wallis while pushing people like John Hagee (this fact lends credibility to the overall thesis being presented so remember: G. Beck is follower of J. Hagee).
4.) The last major part for this dog whistle is also the one that is the most obvious yet least recognized. The reason is because most don’t pay attention to specific pieces of the bible, in particular parts of the Old Testament. However, Christian Reconstructionism is heavily influenced by the Old Testament thus Christian Reconstructionists would be capable of hearing this whistle while most others would not. Anyway, ask yourself this question: why is G. Beck obsessed with B. Obama and the flies that keep pestering him?
I contend, based on the parts above, that G. Beck has built and is continuing to upgrade a dog whistle to his pseudo-religious flock. This dog whistle, if you believe this thesis, is disturbing but needs to be heard. Effectively, I contend that G. Beck is telling his followers that B. Obama is a demon or is being used by a demon. Now if this was just a random FOX host, it could probably be ridden off. However, this is a radical Religious Right host who believes in extreme Christian beliefs (J. Hagee is a spiritual guide after all). The following will break the whistle’s wave so denizens of America can understand it:
1.) The demon in question is Beelzebub who just so happens to be known as “Lord of the Flies”. He is commonly represented through flies of course and he is known for spreading corruption (a common theme G. Beck pushes). Finally on this point, Beelzebub is sometimes considered just another form of the devil.
2.) Beelzebub is mentioned in particular in the Testament of Solomon, which is located in the Old Testament (something that heavily influences Christian Reconstructionism). In this Testament, Beelzebub “claims to cause destruction through tyrants, to cause demons to be worshipped among men, to excite priests to lust, to cause jealousies in cities and murders, and to bring on war.” (Admittedly taken from the Wiki-god) Taken in pieces:
2A.) G. Beck has consistently claimed that B. Obama is ruling by dictate and making Congress irrelevant (such as comparing B. Obama to Nazis).
2B.) He is claiming that “the Left” is substituting themselves and the Government in for God (another quote from the Wiki-god applied metaphorically to this: “Elijah the Prophet then condemns Ahaziah to die by Yahweh’s words because Ahaziah sought counsel from Ba‘al Zebûb rather than from Yahweh.”)
2C.) His attacks on J. Wallis and “the Left” for perverting the bible (today’s show about how Marxism is trying to distort the bible for instance) could be used there.
2D.) He constantly rails against the supposed class warfare “the Left” is engaging in.
2E.) Finally, on more than one occasion he has stated that B. Obama is either prolonging the “war” in Afghanistan or seemingly trying to provoke a new Civil War.
So taken as a whole you have a “tyrant” that is attracting flies while spreading corruption throughout society. Additionally, this whistle is becoming louder and more than just the sheeple that are supposed to be hearing are, in fact, capable of hearing it. For the past few weeks notice how G. Beck has been building a case that B. Obama is “evil” (on more than one occasion he has mentioned that). Additionally, on more than one occasion he has been directly stating that certain things are “demonic”.
As for motives, it is hard to say. Because of his beliefs, he could honestly believe that B. Obama is moving the globe toward Armageddon. He could also simply be doing something that his flock believes in to milk them for their cash. Maybe he recognizes his purpose in the propaganda machine and is maximizing his effectiveness. Perhaps most sinisterly, he could be doing his part for the “movement”.
You decide.