Partial Readings: The Book of Beck
Partial Readings: The Book of Beck
Partial Readings: The Book of Beck
The Book of Beck
At a recent appearance before about 8,000 supporters in Orlando, Glenn Beck described his new book–the tale of a present-day American civil war–as “a story of America at a time much like today where the people are confused and they’re being lied to.” Not by Beck, of course. He continues: “If we don’t face the truth right now, we’ll be dead in five years–this country can’t survive.” Those looking to prepare themselves need only visit Mr. Beck’s website, where they’ll find a link to a supplier of seeds for their very own “crisis garden.”
The Silent Majority
“Despite the fact that there is a pro-union president and most of the Democrats in Congress are to one degree another pro-union,? reports Harold Meyerson in a recent conversation with Michael Kazin, Barbara Ehrenreich, Christopher Hayes, Gerry Hudson, and Liz Shuler, ?the first year of the Obama presidency has been something between a disappointment and a disaster for the American union movement.”
Dishonorable Discharges
In over two dozen cases uncovered by The Nation?s Joshua Kors, the U.S. Army has discharged soldiers based on fraudulent psychiatric diagnoses. “All the soldiers were examined, deemed physically and psychologically fit, then welcomed into the military. All performed honorably before being wounded during service. None had a documented history of psychological problems. Yet after seeking treatment for their wounds, each soldier was diagnosed with a pre-existing personality disorder, then discharged and denied benefits.”
Berlusconi, Crime Fighter
The Italian Cabinet has adopted a new law granting the country’s top four government officials immunity from prosecution for corruption. One might think that the legislation is designed to help Berlusconi evade his upcoming corruption trial. But in fact, he says, the law is part of a series of measures meant to fight crime and the “cancerous growth on Italian democracy”: the “left-wing” magistrates.
