Community | June 15, 2011 | 122 comments

Glenn Beck Changes Mind on Ayn Rand!

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-sapp/glenn-back-backtracks-aft_b_876172.html

HK_NY_Chicago

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-sapp/glenn-back-backtracks-aft_b_8...

The media and blogosphere have been abuzz the last few weeks around the fixation GOP leaders have with Ayn Rand whose teachings are anathema to Christians. Rep. Paul Ryan said we need more of her "morality and thinking" in DC. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck both extolled her on their radio broadcasts. But Ayn Rand said Christ's teachings were evil and that the goal of her books was to undermine Judeo-Christian morality.

As many of us on Current know, Glenn Beck usually does not change his mind, but two days ago he did! In June of last year he extolled Ayn Rand on his radio show saying, “You gotta love her – she’s great!” But then he watched and played American Values Network's ad, which has been at the center of the recent discussion, and highlights the Rand vs Jesus problem for the GOP. And Beck did an about-face, calling Rand a "bigot" and someone who wrongly used freedom for selfish ends. Check out the video and the link to the article above. If even Beck – Glenn Beck! – can’t ally himself with Rand’s morality, how could some of our political leaders –who claim to be “Bible-believing” – still find it possible to praise her morality and say our federal budget should be modeled on her teachings?
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122 comments // Glenn Beck Changes Mind on Ayn Rand! // Video

  • ValueCritic
  • ValueCritic
  • The_Glenn_Beck_Review
  • coxian_armada
  • TECH420
    • 0
      TECH420  

    • Glenn Beck is an idiot. Religion is a lie designed to keep the masses in line and easy to control - an ignorant populous is easier to manage than an educated, informed population of thinking, rational and free citizens. Anyone that allows themselves to be fooled into thinking that there is some magic spaceman who lives in the sky and will grant you wishes if you ask nicely (ie on your kness, with special words) would generally not be taken seriously in society - and shouldn't be. Don't swallow the poison, don't swallow the lie. Stick it out. (Rush)

    • 1 year ago
  • 14_Crusaders
  • rossmick
  • 14_Crusaders
  • Wyley_Wombat
  • NicaeaTheologia
  • henryskuo
  • HK_NY_Chicago
  • oppressed1
    • +1
      oppressed1  

    • Every time i have heard a conservative say something positive about rand. I always tell them to go read a couple sentences she has written, and to never speak of her positively again. Im just trying to keep peopel from thinking all conservatives are fucking nuts.

    • 1 year ago
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • hanzdogy
  • cherry5000
  • sharin
  • messenger117
  • oldbanjo
    • +1
      oldbanjo  

    • Beck is after money he has a following and will say or do anything to keep the money coming in. Sorta reminds me of Jim Jones he had a following, he took their money and they followed him to HELL..

    • 1 year ago
  • RaceBannon
    • +10
      RaceBannon  

    • Ayn Rand was a poor mans Nietzsche who suffered from deep personal suffering which may have motivated her ideas of individual exceptional-ism. To me her personal life only reflects deep neurosis, she should've used her connections to have a visit from Lacan, but self delusional narcissist like herself would never go near psychoanalysis.

      I always found so called conservative theorist to be flaccid at best hence only self interested psychopaths would adhere to there ideas religiously, of course these individuals where the perfect people to lead our industries hence our current crisis. The problem is that many who delve into intelligentsia forget that philosophy is a question and a suggestion at best, never a commitment to an idea.

    • 1 year ago
  • unimatrix0
  • chipokae
    • +3
      chipokae  
    • RaceBannon:

      Have you ever been to an Ayn Rand site? The ayndroids have raised her to a godlike infallibility, in their minds she like a messiah...its disturbing. "I went there because I liked a few quotes about individuality," what a mistake. Here is an example: "Then Ayn Rand comes along with the most beautiful, logical, rational, systematic and organized philosophy possible to the human mind. The principles and values are perfect and automatic for any living human being on earth." I got out of there as fast as possible,lol.

    • 1 year ago
  • ValueCritic
  • stupidamericanz
  • IzzyMom_TheBlog
  • ahappymintleaf
    • +7
      ahappymintleaf  

    • Ayn Rand's philosophy is pure Rightism, without conservatism's holding on to stagnant cultural mythos. It runs completely against everything Jesus ever preached. He would be so disgusted that the religion founded in his name has become so perverted away from his socialist values. How a pro-corporate conservative could call themselves a Christian will never make sense to me.

    • 1 year ago
  • PIANORAMA
  • Leen61
  • Kelly_Balthrop
  • PIANORAMA
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • rgrisham
    • +6
      rgrisham  

    • Ayn Rand is one of America's rare female Douche Bags!!! A lot of male Douche Baggery going around these days but sometimes there's a woman with a rare douchy qaulity that can stand on her own as a real douch bag and Ayn Rand is that special lady.

    • 1 year ago
  • messenger117
  • bike10
  • PIANORAMA
  • PIANORAMA
  • Leen61
    • +1
      Leen61  
    • tlbuffin:

      Thanks for posting this, tlbuffin. Look for the word hypocrite in the dictionary and her picture will be there. I hate this woman! She's as evil as it gets.....think Scott Walker!

    • 1 year ago
  • tlbuffin
  • Leen61
  • jennilamb007
  • chipokae
    • 0
      chipokae  
    • tlbuffin:

      “Many students of Objectivism are troubled by a certain kind of moral dilemma confronting them in today’s society. We are frequently asked the questions: “Is it morally proper to accept scholarships, private or public?” and: “Is it morally proper for an advocate of capitalism to accept a government research grant or a government job?”

      I shall hasten to answer: “Yes”—then proceed to explain and qualify it. There are many confusions on these issues, created by the influence and implications of the altruist morality.

      There is nothing wrong in accepting private scholarships. The fact that a man has no claim on others (i.e., that it is not their moral duty to help him and that he cannot demand their help as his right) does not preclude or prohibit good will among men and does not make it immoral to offer or to accept voluntary, non-sacrificial assistance.

      A different principle and different considerations are involved in the case of public (i.e., governmental) scholarships. The right to accept them rests on the right of the victims to the property (or some part of it) which was taken from them by force.

      The recipient of a public scholarship is morally justified only so long as he regards it as restitution and opposes all forms of welfare statism. Those who advocate public scholarships, have no right to them; those who oppose them, have. If this sounds like a paradox, the fault lies in the moral contradictions of welfare statism, not in its victims.”

      So if she did take Social Security, it was due to the fact that she was rightfully taking back what was forced from her by taxation.
      Its not that I am going all out to defend her "I have been ragging on her view on Zen and Mystics off and on for 2 days" but this does seem to shed some light on the "hypocrisy."

    • 1 year ago
  • messenger117
  • tlbuffin
  • chipokae
    • +1
      chipokae  
    • tlbuffin:

      I would much rather it be dems and libertarians the top two parties.They would fight over how much to take from and give to people but,I think it would balance out.Religion would become a non-issue in government "as it should be." The up side for the world though, would be no more war coming from America unless it was strictly self defense.I just have always thought warmongering and religion cause the most pain in the world.Just my opinion.:D

    • 1 year ago
  • ValueCritic
    • -2
      ValueCritic  
    • tlbuffin:

      She opposed forced confiscation of SS funds from people. She never, ever opposed accecpting those funds back once they were confiscated. What would that prove? That she is trying to satisfy tlbuffin's false logic?

    • 1 year ago
  • tlbuffin
  • ValueCritic
    • -2
      ValueCritic  
    • tlbuffin:

      So she is against having her money confiscated. You suggest she retaliate by... letting them keep her money?!? That would really rub their noses in it huh. That'll teach them to take her money (actually it would).

      There is just a little too much reverse psychology in your reasoning. Anyway, help yourself to a double dose of that, but it doesn't imply any inconsistency in Rand's reasoning.

    • 1 year ago
  • tlbuffin
  • ValueCritic
  • tlbuffin
  • PIANORAMA
  • tlbuffin
  • PIANORAMA
  • ValueCritic
    • 0
      ValueCritic  
    • tlbuffin:

      "It could only be imposed by force and since I am not into any type of forced government, I reject the concept entirely. [...] The notion of total government derugulation is a preposterous."
      How do you enforce regulations without force?
      You see the problem with irrationality is that you will end up contradicting yourself. This makes rationality a tool of cognition, a tool of survival.

    • 1 year ago
  • Milieu
  • Leen61
    • +8
      Leen61  

    • Excellent video! Spread the word! I'm no fan of Ayn Rand. This is great because the video exposes the hypocrites that the Reps are. They are all for God, but do the opposite of God's teachings. They prefer the Ayn Rand philosophy, which is greed and the rich shall inherit the earth. The joke is their "idol" was against God and religion. As you can see, Paul Ryan loves her because he loves the idea of getting rid of Medicare and other safety nets and yet professes to be religious. What a joke! As for Glenn Beck, I don't put alot of stock in that nut case.

    • 1 year ago
  • Schnookums
    • +4
      Schnookums  

    • The values of today's Republican Party are totally inconsistent with most religious values.....except for gay-discrimination and uterus control. After that, they've got nothing.

    • 1 year ago
  • messenger117
  • kennymotown
  • Milieu
  • kennymotown
  • PIANORAMA
  • kennymotown
  • PIANORAMA
  • rgrisham
    • +4
      rgrisham  

    • I often wonder if Beck's frantic semi-apocalyptic ranting is a look into his psyche: A battle deep inside his subconscious where the Great Mormon Beast of the Salt Lake battles it out with his sense of morality. The scariest thing about Glenn Beck is his moments of lucid critical thinking it's almost like his conscious wins against his conservative programming at times. I think Rush finds Glenn and hits his reset botton when he gets to out in left feild so-to-speak. I bet 80 percent of the people supporting Ayn Rand's ideology haven't read her book. Like the bible if somebody says it's a path to paradise no need reading it just jump on in. I tried to read her book Atlas Shrugged got about a hundred pages into a book with over a thousand pages of completely self important bullshit.. I decided my time would be better spent watching paint dry.

    • 1 year ago
  • messenger117
  • chew_chew
    • +2
      chew_chew  

    • Mr Beck is simply continuing his attempt to separate people from their money, while offering nothing of substance in return. His paying gig at Fox "News" is coming to an end. While employed by Fox "News" he was paid to hold the opinions he claimed to hold. Now that he is leaving, he has made a conscience decision to flip-flop only because he sees more money to be made by hollowly holding his new opinion.

      From my perspective only, *any* opinion Mr Beck may seem to espouse has no value. From my perspective, Mr Beck is only about money - no matter what he has to say to get it - and (Mr Beck) is nothing more than an uncomfortable pimple on the behind of humanity.

    • 1 year ago
  • SappEric
    • +14
      SappEric  

    • Great to see this story and support on Current. Please keep voting it up. This ad can break through the noise and has strong appeal and impact on ideological middle and right. Most Americans don't want their kids to grow up in Rand's America. She said Christ's teachings were evil and that the goal of her writing was to undermind Judeo-Christian morality. She said selfishness was the highest virtue and that the biggest problem with America was that too many people cared for others and their neighbor. And this is the kind of "morality and thinking" Paul Ryan and other leaders say we need more of and should be guiding our policies?! The ad highlights the hypocrisy of pandering to their Christian base while saying they will base policy on someone who could not be more anti Christ. Spread the word.

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
    • +1
      UrbanGypsy  
    • Image

    • A good book to read on Ayn Rand and her place within the American Right, where she is traditionally placed is titled "Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right" by Jennifer Burns. The author and book appeared on the Daily Show and I decided to buy the book. An interesting read - especially since it deals with the difficult relationship between her and the Right. She never quite fit in.

    • 1 year ago
  • Jackabp
    • +6
      Jackabp  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      This is all fine, and the case certainly can (and likely should) be made that morality comes from something other than religion (since almost every major religion advocates a similar set of morals). I don't think, however, that the point of this video was to attack Ayn Rand. While the creators of the video may disagree with her, the video seems to be intended to point out contradictions within the Republican party and conservative right, not to defile Rand. The Jon Stewart interview, by the way, was quite interesting.

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
    • +1
      UrbanGypsy  
    • Jackabp:

      It's okay I know that the video was not intended to demean her. It simply exposes a well kept secret within the party - a sort of taboo topic that is never mentioned by the right.

    • 1 year ago
  • PIANORAMA
  • Milieu
  • PIANORAMA
  • UrbanGypsy
    • -3
      UrbanGypsy  

    • I love Ayn Rand, and as an atheist I share many of her same thoughts on religion. She was a hard person to pigeonhole into a specific label and she never accepted the label of conservative.

      I also admire her anti-communism. As a person who lived through it and as a person who suffered from it, her writings reflect it. It is impossible to understand her ideas without putting her experiences in early revolutionary Russia into context.

      She was a deeply flawed individual who had difficulty with personal relationships - but what I think is most important about her is not that her writings are perfect or that her ideas are perfect, but that she attempted to create a mythology that celebrated individualism and egoism - in the process making us understand that they are not completely evil.

      And as with everything, (although Rand would beg to differ) it is us who take what we want from her writings and her ideas. I take it all and I do not hate her. I actually admire her for everything she did. When she set out to do something, she did it.

      I love when she spoke about how morality was not based on religion - it is perhaps Rand at her finest.

    • 1 year ago
  • Milieu
    • +1
      Milieu  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      So you believe that immorality of Selfishness and Social/Economic Darwinism is a good thing?

      Do Not get old, or sick, or become disabled, or lose your job, or develop a disease, or irritate a boss, or expect fair treatment, or..................... well, basically don't be a human being.

    • 1 year ago
  • messenger117
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  
    • messenger117:

      Just because I like to read Ayn Rand and I like to entertain her ideas does not mean that I am selfish person who does not care about others or that I am an "ugly American". What I take from her is her celebration of individualism. There are different things I like about her - and not always everything.

      Aristotle once said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a though without accepting it."

      Pick up one of her books some time, and try reading them - they don't bite. Right now, I'm reading We the Living, a fictional account of the life of a young woman in early Revolutionary Russia, by many considered to be the closest thing to an autobiography that Rand ever wrote. An interesting and engaging read.

    • 1 year ago
  • ValueCritic
    • -1
      ValueCritic  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      You should try "Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand". That is the book that put it all together for me. I like what you said about a moral code not based on religion. That is what science lacks. Rand has the solution: an objective moral code and principles such as the Trader Principle which forswears slavery.

    • 1 year ago
  • ValueCritic
  • ValueCritic
  • ValueCritic
  • Mike789
    • +5
      Mike789  

    • Considering Rand's era and her family's history, it's not hard to grasp why she was so adamantly selfish and God-less. Nonetheless, her perspective is very one-sided, ignoring the substantial benefit of moral justice that countervailed predatory instincts within Mankind and contributed, at least according to Fukayama, to our present day legal system. A more critical view of Rand can be amassed from a more contemorary stance in that she denounced Communism but adhered to it's cold hearted effort to make extinct all forms of religion. A conspiracy theorist could make her out to be a Manchurian Candidate of sorts in that regard.

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  
    • Mike789:

      I think she's a fascinating person. Me and my father like her very much since we are both atheists and anti-communist. We are from Cuba and experienced something similar to what she went through.

      My father remains a Conservative of sorts - but his atheism and his social liberalism turns him off from most other conservatives. The reality is that conservatism in this country is not a uniform ideology, but a collection of different ideologies.

      There are Christian social conservatives, Libertarians, Classical Liberals, Traditional Conservatives, and all sorts of mixes between them. Sadly, many of the voices have been rejected or put down in order to unify the coalition - at the expense of ideological diversity. This is no longer the Republican party of the 1920s or 1930s. It is a confused lot, without clear ideas of ideology - motivated by different things, but unified by one; fear of government - although not all for the same reasons, and not all to the same extent.

    • 1 year ago
  • ValueCritic
    • -1
      ValueCritic  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      You and your father sound like reasonable people. You seem to have strong enough experiences not to be shamed by such people as Messenger117. You may want to step past Rand's fiction and go to "Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology" or best of all "Objectivism: the Philosophy of Ayn Rand" (OPAR) by Leonard Piekoff.

      OPAR explains the historical facts around the philosophical schism we see manifesting itself in all the dichotomies of today (mind/body, moral/practical, theory/practice). Rand shows how you can integrate all those and arrive at an objective moral code.

    • 1 year ago
  • DEM46
    • +6
      DEM46  

    • I find it interesting how some (conservatives) will glom-onto an ideology not knowing that some of it doesn't fit within their other base (wildly religious zealots).

      Too funny really.

    • 1 year ago
  • michail77
    • +5
      michail77  

    • I've often been puzzled by conservatives and Rand vs Christianity.

      My theory is they are just using the religious right for political gain. It's any easy voting group to manipulate and they tend to not dig down into deeper issues.

    • 1 year ago
  • Joeydee44
  • NicaeaTheologia
    • +10
      NicaeaTheologia  

    • Why Rand is an inspiration for a federal budget from conservative Christian politicians befuddles me. At least it exposes the hypocrisy in the GOP.

    • 1 year ago
  • savvy7
    • +1
      savvy7  
    • NicaeaTheologia:

      These people don't understand what the hell they're talking about when they call themselves Christian. They don't know whether to quote from the old testament, the new testament, from Rumi or from Rod Stewart. Half the shit they're talking about is in the Torah and has nothing to do with the Christ. They're profoundly clueless. When I was growing up there was no such thing as a Judeo Christian; you were either a Jew or a Christian. Period. One problem with that was that Christianity was too wimpy; you never got to take out an eye or rip out a tooth for revenge. Far from being a capitalist, Jesus was a socialist and even then, that was pretty radical. Guess we can all be glad that socialists are no longer being crucified - unless conservative Christians gain a majority in Congress.

    • 1 year ago
  • PIANORAMA
  • HK_NY_Chicago
  • PIANORAMA
  • Vierotchka
  • ValueCritic
  • Vierotchka
  • ValueCritic
  • Vierotchka
  • ValueCritic
    • -1
      ValueCritic  
    • Vierotchka:

      Cover up? Some scandal? Or maybe you are just barking up the wrong tree in your attempt vilify him and anyone who likes Ayn Rand. It is surprising how frightened people are of Ayn Rand being legitimate. So many people will say anything, things they know not to be true, or far fetched cover-ups, to invalidate Rand's message.

    • 1 year ago
  • Vierotchka
    • +2
      Vierotchka  
    • ValueCritic:

      I don't need to vilify Ayn Rand - she did a splendid job of vilifying herself. Only fellow psychopaths admire her. Rand's message is psychopathic too, so are his admirers and supporters.

    • 1 year ago
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