By MARC McDONALD
Talk radio these days is becoming more and more extremist and frightening. And HateWing spewer Mark Levin is the most frightening and extreme of them all.
Clearly, though, there's an audience for Levin's twisted vision. After all, his latest book, Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto was a recent No. 1 New York Times bestseller, with over a million copies now in print. And an incredible 1,355 out of 1,538 Amazon customers have given the book a perfect 5-star rating.
Liberty and Tyranny rounds up and recycles the usual arguments for (supposedly) limiting government. It's the same tired, cliched, simplistic arguments that have been trotted out endlessly by today's GOP (a philosophy, incidentally, that was trounced at the polls by the American people last year, who demonstrated that they're sick and tired of three decades of trickle-down Reaganomics).
But Levin couldn't care less what the majority of American people want. He believes that he, and his shrinking GOP base, know what's really best for the American people. Frankly, it sounds like elitism to me. (Which is ironic, because Levin and his ilk are constantly bitching and moaning about the "Liberal Elites" who are supposedly trying to push their views on the rest of us).
What's worse is that in Liberty and Tyranny (as was the case with his other books), Levin tries to justify his extremist beliefs by claiming that his twisted views are what the Founding Fathers called for.
If you read Levin, you get the impression that America today (a modern industrial superpower with a population of 300 million people) should be run exactly the same way it was run in the 1700s (when the U.S. was a sparsely populated collection of 13 rural colonies).
This is True Freedom, Levin would have us believe. Never mind that back in the 1700s, most Americans weren't free at all. After all, millions of blacks were enslaved. Indians were persecuted and murdered. And the majority of the population (women) couldn't even vote.
Is a 1700s-style government what Levin really wants for today's America? Well, when it fits his arguments. For example, any non-defense government programs, of course, ought to be abolished. Everything from Social Security to the FDA to the FAA to Medicare. Never mind that the American people overwhelming support all these programs. Levin wants them all abolished.
The problem with Levin is the inconsistency of his arguments. Levin, you see, has absolutely no problem with America's massive, out-of-control Pentagon budget. (Never mind the the fact that the Founding Fathers were opposed to a standing army during peacetime, as well as the fact that the U.S. got along just fine without the Pentagon for much of our nation's history).
Although Levin claims to be in favor of a smaller, less intrusive government, he has no problems with pouring trillions of our tax dollars into the pockets of wealthy and powerful "defense" contractors. So much for Eisenhower's warning about the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex.
But what did Eisenhower know? He was only an American hero and decorated military general who won World War II for America. No, let's ignore Eisenhower's words of wisdom and instead listen to cowardly chickenhawks like Levin (who never served in the military).
Incredibly, for all his talk about "fiscal responsibility," Levin has no problem with corporate welfare. In Liberty and Tyranny you won't read a word about the hundreds of billions of tax dollars that the likes of Halliburton have collected in closed, no-bid corporate welfare over the years.
Nor will you read a word about how corporate America these days pays little tax (in fact, two-thirds of U.S. corporations pay zero federal tax these days). But Levin, as always, lies through his teeth and claims U.S. corporations face a crushing, heavy tax burden.
One wonders what the Founding Fathers would have made of Levin. Although he claims to speak for their vision for America, I get the feeling that the likes of Thomas Jefferson would have been appalled at Levin. Jefferson, for example, rejected the divinity of Jesus Christ and famously wrote papers attacking the absurdities of the Bible. The Founding Fathers in fact were not Christian. But Levin, as always, lies through his teeth and claims that they were.
And yet Levin hijacks the Founding Father's views and would have us believe that they'd support things like George W. Bush's illegal, immoral $3 trillion War of Lies in Iraq. So much for George Washington's warning to the young nation to never get involved in overseas military adventures.
Bush, in fact, shredded the Constitution that Levin claims to support. During the Bush years, Levin fanatically supported Bush through all the outrages, from embracing torture as official state policy to warrantless wiretaps.
For Levin to turn around and claim in Liberty and Tyranny that he supports the philosophy of the Founding Fathers is sickening and grotesque. The Founding Fathers would have despised a dangerous demagogue like Levin.
Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto has been a huge success for Levin. It even has a near-perfect 4.5 stars on Amazon. In 1,538 customer reviews, the book has garnered a perfect 5-star rating from an incredible 1,355 customers. Levin often touts this fact on his radio show.
The wingnuts definitely know how to play the Amazon ratings game. Check out a book by anyone from Al Gore to Michael Moore and you'll see endless one-star "reviews" by wingnuts (who, instead of actually reading the books in question, simply leave a short one-sentence attack on the author).
Yes, Liberty and Tyranny has been a big success. But for that matter, so was "Mein Kampf."
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20 comments:
Marc, you used a perfect noun to describe Levin and those just like him: "hijacker." He and his ilk have truly hijacked the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Eisenhower and twisted it to conform to their own deviant ends. They have likewise hijacked Christianity and have turned it away from a dogma of love and charity to one of hate and militarism. They are now attempting to hijack history as well. These people are dangerously insane deviants. Mr. Levin's book will never even be touched by me. Thank you for the warning about it.
another genius who has no idea what they are talking about.
There has never been any school of economists who believed in a trickle-down theory. No such theory can be found in even the most voluminous and learned books on the history of economics. It is a straw man. Almost as bad as Oh-Bummer's trickle up theory.
Freemarket economics is not about "trickling" anything to anybody. It is about letting people earn whatever they can from voluntary transactions with other people.
If you actually believe that profits first benefit business owners and that benefits only belatedly "trickle down" to workers you have the sequence completely backwards.
When an ivestment is made, made for any business, the first money is spent hiring people to do the work. Without that, nothing happens. Money goes out first to pay expenses and then comes back as profits later—if at all, since 90% of businesses fail.
For example publishing a newspaper, no one expects to break even—much less make a profit—during the first year or two. But reporters and other members of the newspaper staff expect to be paid every payday, even while the paper shows only red ink on the bottom line.
In short, the sequence of payments is directly the opposite of what is assumed by those who talk about a “trickle-down” theory.
also almost everything you have said is also wrong but that's about all I have time for now. nonetheless if there is anyone who is twisitng anything its people like you. You might actually learn a thing or two from the service Levin provides. Thank him!
Hi Jack, thanks for your comments and for stopping by!
re:
>>>There has never been any school
>>>of economists who believed in a
>>>trickle-down theory.
Huh? That's the bullshit the GOP has been trying to sell us the past 30 years. It boils down to: "Let's cut taxes on the rich---and as a result it'll benefit the working class, as well."
The GOP actually convinced a lot of ignorant, uninformed members of the working class to buy this bullshit for many years, but thankfully, a number of these sadly deluded voters are starting to wake up (mainly because it has never worked in three decades).
Get off this blog you big dope!!!!!!!!! Thank me!!!!!! I'm gonna educate you!!! Yeah, I SAID it!!!!! I love dogs!!!
The back of Levin's Liberty & Tyranny has a quote from Abraham Lincoln. The quote is taken from his "We all declare for liberty" speech. The speech was given in Baltimore, Maryland in 1864. It is a speech decrying slavery, which was still legal in Maryland (though not for much longer). Levin should be embarrassed to use this speech as propaganda for conservatism. Is he really trying to equate the state of the modern right-winger with that of the civil war-era slave? Sickening...
I'm compelled to add that the title of Liberty & Tyranny comes from the same speech.
Great comments regarding a very sad man; indeed, a terribly sad state of affairs. I'm actually apolitical so I have no bias or agenda tainting my point of view. I'm horrified at the cruelty, deceit, and hate Levin, Limbaugh, Hannity, et al are spewing. Go figure - I sent Hannity an email about two hours ago taking issue with a good bit of what he was selling. And I ended my email by telling him if an elected official, the president himself, becomes a victim of any degree of physical violence, the blood is on his hands. Actually, on Levin's and Limbaugh's, as well.
Yeah, Mark Levin is my FAVORITE 'right wing extremist'..
I love the book, Liberty and Tyranny.
It is truly an awesome book that shows deep appreciation for America.
Mark Levin is highly intelligent. I absolutely LOVE Mark Levin..
I guess that makes me a 'racist, right wing extremist, teabagger'
I guess I'll take that as a badge of honor..
Yeah, and it is morons like you who enable evil to exist and flourish in America. Should you develop any type of independent thought at any time in your limited life, you will see that Levin's propaganda is nothing more than self-serving,garbage-spewing, wealth making (for him and his sponsors) drivel, hidden under the umbrella of patriotism and constitutional rights.
Yea, he's intelligent, but he's using his brains for totaly evil, self-serving purposes and to inspire hatred and divisiveness in this country.
Hope you sleep well, while he and his like destroy America for money!!!!
Thanks for your comments, Bill and Anon. You hit the nail right on the head!
i think your idea of mark as an extremist is incorrect. If you haven't listened to a whole show with an open mind it is you who is narrow minded. if you buy the idea that the rich dont pay their fair share, you need to look up the facts...not from bloggers but from the irs. most americans (the lowest 51% do not pay federal income tax...the top 10% pay 70 per cent of all taxes. if you dont open your mind, you will continue to be taken advantage of for the power of few. that's why the constitution's intent is to limit governement and allow the voluntary actions of the marketplace blindly decide where resources belong. the government usually gets in the way of that (the whole government not just one party). when the government supports one area of industry another loses, it is the people's responsibility through everyday transactions and elections to support or decry policy not an overweight government full of unelected czars and beaurocracies. you may be for a huge government today but do you really believe you can control it tomorrow? capitalism isnt perfect, but the alternative is much much worse and breeds hateful polarized peoples (what we are moving into now)
Hi Fbomb,
Wow, the likes of Levin and Limbaugh have really brainwashed you wingnut sheep. You're so worried about the prospect of the rich having to pay a bit more in taxes, that you're completely ignoring how working-class people are being screwed in this country.
No less a rich person than Warren Buffett has said that billionaires aren't paying their fair share of taxes.
(But don't tell me: Buffett is a moron, right? Yeah right: a self-made multi-billionaire who started with nothing and is now the second richest man on earth. Yes, he is definitely a moron and he understands nothing about capitalism, or taxes, or financial matters).
Like I said, you brainwashed idiots simply don't fathom how Nazis like Levin and Limbaugh have taken you for a ride. Stop getting all your "news" and views from Nazi hate-wing radio and READ for a change. It doesn't even have to be a "Liberal" publication....just READ, for Chrissakes. I personally enjoy "The Financial Times" (probably the best newspaper in the English-speaking world). You should check it out. But PLEASE, turn off the F*CKING radio for a change.
Mark Levin may not be perfect human being, but he understands perfectly what direction society needs to go in to ensure everyone's best interests! Each time he is on the air he directly illustrates criticism of all politcal parties and politicians, if their actions are not in our best interest. He has many a segments that call out even his close political friends if he feels they are acting unbefitting of our true needs.
These other posts are not from critical thinkers but from people who want others to do things for them and pass off personal responsibilities.
This country owes nothing to its people but freedom and choice, outside of physically hurting other human beings and their possessions.
Big government is far more fatal to a free, constitutional country than big business. You can put big companies out of business easily, but with big government that is not the case.
PS. Entitlement programs are socialist programs, and they have never in the history of the world, in the short term or over the long run, worked.
You people who agree with this article are eggheads. I truly hope that America never conforms to the way you morons think it should. Mark Levine would shit on your heads in a debate. His right testicle has more brain power than all of you put together. Long live Levine and long live freedom. Peace out!
re:
>>Mark Levine would shit on your >>heads in a debate.
LOL, that chickenshit coward Levin would run away from any debate as fast as he ran away from serving in the military. Levin's idea of "debate" is to scream insults at anyone who phones into his show to challenge him. Anyone who challenges Levin only get in a few words before the fat coward insults them and cuts them off.
re:
>>His right testicle has more brain
>>power than all of you put
>>together.
LOL, Levin actually has a pair of balls? If so, they must be very tiny---the size of a grain of sand.
Incidentally, you don't even know how to spell the name of your hero, retard. "Mark Levine" LOL!
Levin is strangely proto fascist. If you listen to his tirades, the seem to mimic Hitler--and I'm not saying Levin is a Nazi--I'm saying he has the same speech cadence where he goes from soft to very loud and outraged all in a single sentence to point where you think hie is going to crack. The man has his rhetoric down, I'll give him that. Often liberals listen only to the "content" of someone like Levin, but it is his rhetoric where he scores his points.
Hi, Anon, you make an interesting point, there. I agree. He's really got it down to a science. I bet he has worked on his rhetoric quite a bit, fine-tuning it for maximum effectiveness.
Interesting how all the right comments look like they were wrtten by 5th graders...no wonder they buy all this crap. Their own stupidity fuels their own brainwashing. I feel sorry for them. Such low esteem. Now they've lost any sense of "class", so there's not much left to the GOP except for angry, weird old guys with trucker hats...
Hi Anon, thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Here's an interesting thing about Levin's listeners (at least from my own first-hand experience). 90 percent of the Levin listeners I've know over the years work for the government. (No, not as soldiers or firefighters, but as office workers). Many of these people are younger than me and yet they're already retired, thanks for the nice, fat government pensions they are collecting. In that sense, they're just like their hero, Levin (who retired in his 40s from his cushy government job with a generous taxpayer-funded pension before he went on to radio). I've asked a number of these "right-wingers" if they realize that they're big, fat hypocrites. None of them see my point. The fact is, today's Republicans are a bunch of sociopaths. Their creed is "I've got mine, screw everyone else."
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