An unholy alliance: Beck & Palin

Here is a video segment from Glenn Beck's recent interview with Sarah Palin. Beck and Palin: two people who alarm me because of their mastery of demagoguery.

Andrew Sullivan comments (with some hyperbole) here and here. (He's also compiled a list of some of the provably false statements Palin's repeatedly made here).

Personally, I believe that Beck, Palin, and Fox News are primarily driven by greed (see a Daily Show comment on Beck in this regard here). At the same time, however, Palin has been a governor and a vice presidential candidate, and Fox News is clearly a media outlet with a very strong political orientation. Greed and a hunger for power often go hand in hand, and I agree with Sullivan that history does suggest that even in a modern democratic country, the combination of difficult economic times, a feeling of being unfairly treated, a vaguely defined but menacing "other," and a charismatic leader can be a fertile ground for the rise of fascism. Beck and Palin's rhetoric interweaves all of those themes, and both are charismatic people.

We need to be vigilant as long as Palin is a potential political candidate. Allowing ourselves to be complacent and thinking that "it couldn't happen here" reminds me of this quote:

A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.

-- Bertrand de Jouvenel

(Video link)