I see you, and I love you, brother,” Mr. Jones said. “I love you and you cannot do anything about it. I love you and you cannot do anything about it. Let’s be one country. Let’s be one country. Let’s get the job done.”
Here's how Beck responded.
I appreciate the fact that you love me. And as my eternal brother, I love you as well. Now, it’s never been a personal thing and I’m not sure why you’re trying to make it a personal issue. But it’s not a personal thing. It never has been. I was somebody who didn’t want you fired.
Beck has got to be kidding. It isn't personal. Put yourself in the shoes of Van Jones. I'd say it's personal from his perspective. For the last nearly half year Beck has used every opportunity on his show to make Jones the symbol of everything wrong with the administration, our political thought, and the direction of the country.
Jones has long been gone from the administration but that hasn't stopped Beck from attacking him mercilessly. Now, Beck says it's not personal. That's easy for Beck. After all, he's the one attacking. Maybe, he doesn't mean to make it personal. From the position of the attacked, it's much easier to make it personal. If Beck wants to make Jones the symbol for everything that's wrong in America, that's his right. To pretend that such a sustained and vicious attack on Jones isn't personal is laughable, insulting and the sort of patronizing nonsense that Beck would rail against if someone else were doing it. Hopefully, someone on the right has the courage to call out Beck's absurd and insulting position. This is personal Mr. Beck. You've made it personal. You may not have meant to do it but you did. Don't insult everyone's intelligence.
I suppose he simply meant that he'd go after anyone with Jones' political beliefs. When he said it wasn't personal he probably just meant that to him one progressive islamofacistenvirocommunist was as good as another.
ReplyDeleteWhile I get your point (surely it is personal to Jones), it isn't accurate to characterize it as a "vicious attack." To be vicious, it would need to be untrue, exaggerated, or of a personal rather than professional nature. However, Jones has (to my knowledge) never challenged the accuracy of the charges, which were all related to his career and White House connection.
ReplyDeleteWhat's vicious about calling a spade, a spade?
No if it wasn't accurate, I would call it inaccurate. Jones is gone from the White House. It's been months. Why is Beck still attacking him mercilessly? Is it not vicious to attack a private citizen and turn that citizen into a symbol of everything that's wrong with the country? Again, put yoursel in the position of Jones. I'd say you would consider it pretty vicious. To then say, "it's not personal" is not laughable but reprehensible.
ReplyDeleteJones recently confirmed (on CNN) that the White House was aware of his progressive/communist ideology. Previously, we could only speculate. The big picture (composition of the administration, and their agenda) is what's important. This new interview and confirmation is worthy of discussion, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteJones doesn't seem ashamed of his positions, which remain unchanged. How can replaying them for broader public consumption be a vicious thing?
i may have mis-sourced cnn above.
ReplyDeleteHow often is enough? Beck, months after Jones left the White House,continues to play the same comments over and over ad nauseum and then says, "it's not personal".
ReplyDeleteIt's personal and vicious. Period. Beck is using Jones as a pinata to make a political point. That's fine. If that's what he wants to do, that's fine. Just don't pretend as though this isn't a vicious and personal way to make your point.
I may be a bit confused about this but what makes it vicious?
ReplyDeleteMr. Jones said the things that he said and believes the things that he says (I assume) and the administration hired him after saying that they have been watching him for a long time... then they claimed that they were unaware of what he stood for.
So Glenn calls this out... repeatedly. But it isn't a lie but appears to be the truth.
Again, put yourself in the position of Jones. Your statements are used ad nauseum for months as a symbol of everything that's wrong with America. For months, you are ridiculed, mocked, and vilified. That's what Beck has done no matter what he claims. That's fine. That's a tough way of making your point. It's a vicious way of making your point. It's also effective.
ReplyDeleteAgain, that is fine but to then claim that it is not personal is simply an insult to the audience.
I don't understand you Mike. You have essentially done the same thing to chacko as Beck is doing to Jones i.e. publishing the truth about someone's habits/beliefs/statements etc. How many times have we seen the statement "kiss my big Indian ass" in your blog in re. to chacko? I think it is important for Americans to know the composition of this president's admin.
ReplyDeleteThat's because you all seem to miss what my problem is. I'd say calling someone a psychopath is vicious even if it's accurate.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily have a problem with the way that Beck treated Jones. Though, I think it was unnececessary overkill after he left the administration. What I have a problem with was the patronizing way he claimed it wasn't personal.
Now, it isn't personal for me to Chacko. I simply find her story to be unbelievably fascinating and important. Still, I'm sure,and in fact I know, it's personal to her. So, what if I said, "Dr. Chacko, this isn't personal, despite everyting, in the spirit of Chritianity, I love you", what would you think of that.
What I have a problem with is the way in which Beck minimizes his attacks on Jones and makes it seem as though they aren't a big deal. To Jones, they are. It's easy to say it's not personal when you are attacking. I think it's cowardly for Beck not to acknowledge that the constant and consistent attacks were hurtful and personal to Jones. Ofcourse, they were. What if you were a pinata for everything that's wrong with the world? You wouldn't like that much. Yet, Beck acts innocent and claims it's not personal and viciously attacks him again.
Acknowledge what you've done.