Friday, June 05, 2009

Glenn Beck Common Sense Comedy Tour

At the last minute yesterday I decided I'd really like to see Glenn Beck's Common Sense Comedy Tour Live event at our local theater. Good thing I didn't wait any longer. I bought one of the last four tickets. I've never been to one of these things.

I'm a Glenn Beck "Insider" (the name he gives to those who subscribe to his website) and I listen to the show a few times a week. I find Glenn entertaining, generally well researched, willing to admit mistakes when he's wrong, and on top of things.

I was not disappointed. Glenn makes it feel like he's your neighbor, just talking in your living room. Well if your living room happened to be a packed theater.

It was great. The guy was funny, engaging, level-headed. Tamed the few nuts in the crowd ("Revolution!", one guy yelled at one point. "Yeah, I remember my first beer", Glenn responded. "Glenn for President", shouted another. Glenn dismissed that one joking, "We'd run out of missiles."). If you believe in the best American values before Progressivism took hold in the early 1900's, you have a lot to agree with the guy on. Personal responsibility for you and yours and where your life goes pretty much sums it up.

The second half of it he came out dressed as the Founders would've dressed, but stayed in Glenn Character and used it to illustrate how far we came and how quickly, dropping plenty of jokes along the way about how they came up with the most successful model for a free society ever but couldn't figure out zippers. He also did a visual aid with three audience members (the one he picked for "sweet liberty" was appropriately a very cute, sweet-looking young lady) to illustrate the Totalitarian to Anarchy scale and where the founders decided the sweet spot was... and what's happened since.

People who insist that Glenn is racist or a gay hater or some sort of wild conspiracy theorist or a Republican hack or a "hater" -- as soon as you hear that talk coming out of someone's piehole you can be certain they've never spent an honest hour listening to the man.

If you get a chance to go even to one of the encore (taped) performances of the live broadcasts, or an actual live broadcast. Do it. If you think even half the stuff I say on this blog makes sense, you won't be disappointed.



Update: 7/02/2009

Here. In Beck's own words from the book he was promoting on this tour:

It's not just the political class who has mastered the art of deception. There are other potentially deadly masters who will seek to exploit your frustration and sense of desperation. Many will warn you of government tyranny; they'll talk of secret societies, vast conspiracies, shadow governments, and the need for violent action. I urge you to stay away from these individuals and those ideas.

There is no "star chamber" that needs to be found and destroyed, there is no global conspiracy playing out. The individuals and groups that propagate thoes lies have their own agendas, but, like all radicals and revolutionaries, they will eventually seek to impose their rules and lifestyle on us all.

Make no mistake, a revolution is required to restore America, but it's a revolution that can be fought with the weapons of democracy. This is not a call to arms or violence, it is a call to once again tether ourselves to our core principles and values. Treachery and treason abound from those who profess allegiance to America. Truth, the "first casualty in war" is in short supply -- make it your polestar.

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