The Audacity of Greed.

I let this article sit as a draft for months now, but given the impending invasion of Washington, DC by Glenn Beck and the Tea Party crowd this Saturday to "Restore Honor", I feel that it's more applicable now than ever.

For quite awhile, anybody who follows politics has known that Fox News readily serves as mouthpiece of the current Republican party and that it has hardly been as "news" focused as its moniker implies. In fact, News Corp itself (parent company of Fox News) directly donated $1M to the Republican Governor's Association this election cycle! But many people too ignorant of the agenda or too comfortable with the message watch it by the thousands and many of my acquaintances from Oklahoma consider it the go-to news source for all the ways that the democrats and Obama Administration are completely screwing over the Joe-Six-Packs of America (facts and reality be damned!).

But for a shorter while now, it's been my personal opinion that we ought to re-brand, re-label, and begin treating most of our cable news media, especially Fox News, as entertainment and opinion rather than actual news sources. Even Keith Olbermann gets far afield these days with a stray Special Comment or two. I fully support the First Amendment and everyone's right to say whatever distasteful thing they want to say, but don't dress up your agenda and sell it as factual news to folks who don't know any better (or just don't care).

It turns out that one of the worst offenders actually agrees with me. This article from Forbes.com features a fascinating quote from Glenn Beck himself: "I could give a flying crap about the political process. We're an entertainment company, ..."!

And quite a lucrative entertainment company at that. From the article: "Glenn Beck Inc. ... pulled in $32 million in revenue during the 12 months ended Mar. 1 (2010)" And continues: "Radio brings in $10 million. Digital (including a newsletter, the ad-supported Glennbeck.com and merchandise) pulls in $4 million. Speaking and events are good for $3 million and television for $2 million."

The point: Beck and his ilk are making a KILLING off of people who are clearly not in the same tax bracket by playing their emotions with fear and urging them on to support a party who's candidates, platforms, and ideals are not supportive of their own best interests.

For example, the legitimate tax cuts implemented in the last two budget years under President Obama have tremendously benefited the Joe-Six-Packs, students, and small businesses of America. But most of them wouldn't know it because Glenn Beck, the Tea Party movement, and this sky-is-falling faux-reality Fox News has created overrides the tax refund that was deposited in their bank account as actual money. People believe the lie because it's repeated on a "news" ticker 24/7, 365. To listen to many of the folks who are waving Gadsden flags and you would think that America is currently under the most tyrannical over-taxation in our country's history. But again, the truth is that federal income tax is lower now for the middle-class than it has been since the 1950's.

As another example, an old schoolmate of mine now works for the Oklahoma Republican Party and we had numerous, passionate debates over health insurance reform this past Spring. She is fierce in her opposition of the reform efforts, many times falling back to the party talking points again and again without considering the substance of them. After the bill was signed, I sadly learned that the Oklahoma GOP does NOT provide her with health benefits, she was NOT covered at that time, and that the reform provisions she so viciously opposed would allow her to remain on her parent's insurance plan because she's under 25 years old (and presumably at cheaper rates than she or her folks could find otherwise). Her explanation: that even though she wants health insurance, she doesn't want it forced on her in this way. I'm still speechless...she works every day to undermine her own best interests.

For all this talk of socialism, big government, and personal liberty, it seems that those who are enjoying the fruit of the spirit of discontent across the country are the people cashing-in on the anti-Obama message for pure capital and political reasons. Heaven forbid the Administration try to help the middle class by stabilizing the banking industry, provide much needed stimulus and tax cuts, and extending health insurance options to an additional 30 million people. But don't you dare let those Bush-era tax cuts for folks over with income above$250,000 per year expire at the end of the year! That's fiscally irresponsible! (Though it's actually more fiscally responsible to let them expire).

So what does August 28th, 2010 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial represent to me? A movement of possibly sincere energy that has been carefully directed and crafted to put control back in the hands of the top 2% of wealthy Americans who have been greatly unhappy with the last two years worth of ending their financial free-for-all and actually, really, tangibly creating positive change for the middle-class in America. But despite all this self-flagellation we'll see Saturday, the agenda is thinly covered under a veil of asserting liberty and selectively linked to our great Constitution when it's convenient. (Please disregard the liberty part if you don't speak English, aren't a Christian or a heterosexual. That part isn't for you.)

As Glenn Beck says, "Follow the money." Ok, so indulge me: Say we pick three big issues in Congress lately: health insurance reform, financial sector reform, and the Bush tax cuts. Who stood to benefit if health insurance reform failed: insurance companies and politicians who receive their donations. Who stood to benefit from financial sector reform to prevent another meltdown of the American economy: Wall-Street and the politicians who receive their donations. Who stands to benefit from letting the Bush tax cuts expire on December 31st: the top 2% of income earners in America, i.e. folks making over $250,000 per year, i.e. Glenn Beck, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, even Bill Clinton. NOT you, me, or any of my friends who are Republican, Democrat, or own a small business.

$32 million dollars in cold, hard cash to a man who's fear-mongering and distortion of what could be a constructive political discourse epitomizes the biggest problem with our political landscape today. Glenn Beck and John Boehner are off-message. They aren't interested in reducing the deficit or taxation of you, me, or small business. They're interested in more money in their pockets and campaign coffers (which may translate to more power in Congress post-Citizens United). And the only way they can get there, thanks to our amazing democracy, is to persuade the folks with the real power to put them back in office in November.


So how does one combat such a nefarious agenda? The same way we did in 2008: You get organized and you tell the truth. And you tell the truth over and over and over again. Sometimes you get a little louder and more forceful when you tell the truth. And in my experience, eventually the truth the will win out over deception. So unplug Fox News, read or get on the internet, find the truth, and share it. Don't take Keith Olbermann or Glenn Beck's word for it! And eventually this madness of false-reality cable news will be pushed out by peer pressure when people get educated and realize the truth is a few keystrokes and critical-thoughts away.

Sadly, for faith and values Christians, my brothers and sisters seem to have forgotten an important vacation bible-school teaching: "You can't serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24). I believe you can't serve the people (or the country) and money, either.

I'll take the Audacity of Hope over the Audacity of Greed any day.