Tea partier Glenn Beck compares Norway victims to Hitler Youth (school, terrorism)
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Minus the Hitler reference, I actually have to agree with Glenn. When I read an article in an international newspaper yesterday, it repeatedly mentioned the "Labour Party youth unit"...or the "youth element of the Labour Party." Each time I read that descriptor it raised my eyebrow just a bit. It does sound a bit politically militant. I'm suspicious too.
So it's ok to demonize victims of terrorism because the terrorist is a right winger who identifies with the tea party?
Sounds like those guys at Fox are smarter than I thought. Beck has proven even to his followers that he is a wacko and not everything he says is well thought out.
Actually, I agree that as an American, political camps for kids seems a bit strange, but he hit a very, very sour note there. It comes from trying to spin and politicize every goddamn event in the world. All the goddamn time! Why not just be a compassionate fellow human! It is a heartbreaking tragedy whatever your politics. He appears to shed tears over a loss of American values, but where was the heartbreak when true tragedy struck?
Last edited by Fiddlehead; 07-25-2011 at 11:19 PM..
...you would understand mixing kids and politics at a political camp for kids is a bad idea.
I'm impressed with how people can make it sound as if they're 7-year olds, but I guess Glenn Beck knows his audience are emoting, not thinking.
Scandinavian political youth organizations are mostly the 16-24 year age bracket - which is actually not a bad age bracket to start getting one's feet wet in political debate, learning how an organization is run, argue fervently for a viewpoint and still lose the vote (graciously), learn how to hammer out a compromise - pretty good baggage for anyone, and in particular those who want to have a go at politics later in life. They also tend to throw some kick-ass parties.
Anyone who thinks those are top-led organizations with some sort of dictated agenda are completely ignorant of their nature. It's not at all uncommon for the youth groups to publicly criticize their "mother parties" - not that the broader public cares all that much.
Of course, the summer camps aren't purely politics - they're as much about recreation, campfires, socilaizing - and of course finding a girl/boyfriend, the camp's website is quite open about that aspect as well.
I'm impressed with how people can make it sound as if they're 7-year olds, but I guess Glenn Beck knows his audience are emoting, not thinking.
Scandinavian political youth organizations are mostly the 16-24 year age bracket - which is actually not a bad age bracket to start getting one's feet wet in political debate, learning how an organization is run, argue fervently for a viewpoint and still lose the vote (graciously), learn how to hammer out a compromise - pretty good baggage for anyone, and in particular those who want to have a go at politics later in life. They also tend to throw some kick-ass parties.
Anyone who thinks those are top-led organizations with some sort of dictated agenda are completely ignorant of their nature. It's not at all uncommon for the youth groups to publicly criticize their "mother parties" - not that the broader public cares all that much.
Of course, the summer camps aren't purely politics - they're as much about recreation, campfires, socilaizing - and of course finding a girl/boyfriend, the camp's website is quite open about that aspect as well.
"Hitler Youth", indeed.
Thanks for the explanation Dane. I was perplexed by the concept, but what you describe sounds much more like the scandinavians I know. I lived in Uppsala, Sweden in 1989-90, and I agree that it is very unlikely that young scandinavians would "fall in line" with any party orthodoxy. And, yes, they definitely know how to party!
I'm impressed with how people can make it sound as if they're 7-year olds, but I guess Glenn Beck knows his audience are emoting, not thinking.
Scandinavian political youth organizations are mostly the 16-24 year age bracket - which is actually not a bad age bracket to start getting one's feet wet in political debate, learning how an organization is run, argue fervently for a viewpoint and still lose the vote (graciously), learn how to hammer out a compromise - pretty good baggage for anyone, and in particular those who want to have a go at politics later in life. They also tend to throw some kick-ass parties.
Anyone who thinks those are top-led organizations with some sort of dictated agenda are completely ignorant of their nature. It's not at all uncommon for the youth groups to publicly criticize their "mother parties" - not that the broader public cares all that much.
Of course, the summer camps aren't purely politics - they're as much about recreation, campfires, socilaizing - and of course finding a girl/boyfriend, the camp's website is quite open about that aspect as well.
"Hitler Youth", indeed.
I think you should provide us proof that these are not "top-led organizations" with a specific agenda. I find that very hard to believe. The very term "mother party" suggest that there is indeed an agenda and/or ideology that is followed.
I understand that your Scandinavian background has you coming to a natural defense, but lets be objective about it. Proof to support your statements would help your cause.
How anyone can defend Beck after this statement or to criticize the victims in any way buggers the mind.
Who is defending Beck? All i've seen are those of us who find it a tad bit supicious that there's an active "youth wing" of a political party. How do youth get tangled up in a political ideology to the point that they end up en masse at a political summer camp? This is about American's viewing the Norwegian ideological system a bit odd more than it is about Glenn Beck.
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