A Textbook Case of Terrorism
The case of Byron Williams, shown below. Mr Williams was arrested after a shootout he initiated with police. It was later discovered that he was on his way to kill members of the ACLU, and the Tides Foundation, an organization which is a frequent target of Glenn Beck's lying smears.
Mr. Williams gave a most interesting interview to John Hamilton at Media Matters. The whole thing is worth a read, but here are a couple of excerpts:
I have written before about the classic pattern of terrorist violence, seen since at least Russian nihilism in the nineteenth century. This involves provocateurs who incite terrorism, knowing perfectly well that eventually, if they stick to their malignant work, some mentally unbalanced person is going to carry out the violence they intend; but who are careful to sanitize themselves from any direct connection with the perpetrators, and who react with fury at the suggestion that they have any responsibility for the horrors they have knowingly incited. This is a classic pattern, seen again and again. People like Glenn Beck and the rest of the Fox News demagogues are little different from Yasir Arafat, Gerry Adams and Osama Bin Laden himself, as far as I can see. While the country has spent eight years obsessed with a bunch of guys in turbans 12,000 miles away, our own right wing has been busy breeding its own reservoir of terrorists, driven by the same toxic mixture of religious self-righteousness and hate as all of the other ugly specimens we have seen throughout history. And as things stand right now, it seems as if no one with the power to stop them has the decency and the courage to stand up to them.
Thus, democracies come to an end.
Mr. Williams gave a most interesting interview to John Hamilton at Media Matters. The whole thing is worth a read, but here are a couple of excerpts:
"(He) repeatedly instructs (Hamilton) to watch specific broadcasts of Beck's show for information on the conspiracy theory that drove him over the edge: an intricate plot involving Barack Obama, philanthropist George Soros, a Brazilian oil company, and the BP disaster.
Williams also points to other media figures -- right-wing propagandist David Horowitz, and Internet conspiracist and repeated Fox News guest Alex Jones -- as key sources of information to inspire his "revolution."
Williams tells Hamilton that "Beck would never say anything about a conspiracy, would never advocate violence. He'll never do anything ... of this nature. But he'll give you every ounce of evidence that you could possibly need."
Williams also points to other media figures -- right-wing propagandist David Horowitz, and Internet conspiracist and repeated Fox News guest Alex Jones -- as key sources of information to inspire his "revolution."
Williams tells Hamilton that "Beck would never say anything about a conspiracy, would never advocate violence. He'll never do anything ... of this nature. But he'll give you every ounce of evidence that you could possibly need."
I have written before about the classic pattern of terrorist violence, seen since at least Russian nihilism in the nineteenth century. This involves provocateurs who incite terrorism, knowing perfectly well that eventually, if they stick to their malignant work, some mentally unbalanced person is going to carry out the violence they intend; but who are careful to sanitize themselves from any direct connection with the perpetrators, and who react with fury at the suggestion that they have any responsibility for the horrors they have knowingly incited. This is a classic pattern, seen again and again. People like Glenn Beck and the rest of the Fox News demagogues are little different from Yasir Arafat, Gerry Adams and Osama Bin Laden himself, as far as I can see. While the country has spent eight years obsessed with a bunch of guys in turbans 12,000 miles away, our own right wing has been busy breeding its own reservoir of terrorists, driven by the same toxic mixture of religious self-righteousness and hate as all of the other ugly specimens we have seen throughout history. And as things stand right now, it seems as if no one with the power to stop them has the decency and the courage to stand up to them.
Thus, democracies come to an end.
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