Glenn Beck Hammers Charles Johnson

Michael van der Galien is my good blogging friend, but we're in disagreement about the internecine battles on the conservative right. A couple of weeks back, Michael suggesedt that conservatives "should stop going after" Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs.

In a post today, citing Beck's KILLER response to Johnson in his Fox News broadcast (above, at about 7:00 minutes), Michael sides with Little Green Footballs and he suggests that Beck's basically flipped his lid: "The best way to deal with such “loons” is to simply ignore them. Do not bash them, do not go after them. Let them do their thing while you do yours. Besides, even “crazies” are right every now and then."

The funny thing is, I was just having lunch a month or so ago with a former student who's now retired from the Navy. As I noted in an essay where I cite Beck's hypothetical "anarchy in America" scenarios, good people who are decidedly not crazy have enough legitimate concerns about the direction and stability of this nation that they're considering relocating and downsizing to a simpler life - my friend is thinking about a move to Montana or the Rocky Mountain States.

If Glenn Beck's insane, his imbalance is giving him unparalelled insights into the excesses, outrages, and perversions of American government today. If he seems overboard to some, well, folks need to get a grip themselves - that's the guy's schtick! He's going to push buttons and inflame sensitivities. If he's making irrational and unsubstantiated claims, yeah, call him out. But that's not what I see. I see Beck challenging so many of the orthodoxies that neither side is willing to challenge themselves. Charles Johnson doesn't like it, of course, because he's on some weird jihad against anyone who utters politically-incorrect unmentionables about Muslims and people of color. Gasp! You have voiced a negative word about radical Islam, ahh!, you're a fascist!

Johnson is entitled to his views, and I'm NOT druding up a confrontation with him, but there's little doubt that he's carried his war on the "extremist" right so far that's he's aiding and abetting those secular progressives who really do want to destroy our nation, and who are doing it one network newscast at a time. Indeed, the New York Times is a "training ground" for sectarian radicalism. And frankly, at some point people have to choose up sides.

Like Dan Collins, I'm with Beck on this, and I'm urging Charles Johnson to chill a little. Everyone's got something to say worth hearing, but when Andrew Sullivan starts pumping up the postings over at Little Green Footballs, folks might really want to think twice about not just the issues, but the stakes.

See also, Snooper Report, "Another Little Green Turtle Turd Moment."