Newsweek book reviewer Isia Jasiewicz took on the task of explaining to Newsweek's readers, such that remain, what it was that was driving the unexplainable book phenomena of Glen Beck. Her point of interest was Beck's recent focus on economist Friedrich Hayek, and his most famous work, The Road To Serfdom. After a one day discussion of the 1944 work, the book once again rose to number one on the Amazon book list and the publisher had to do an extra print run of 20,000 copies. Ms. Jasiewicz was rather dismissive of Beck's audience, claiming the response to Hayek's work was not due to a desire to become better acquainted with the seminal economic treatise of the twentieth century, but rather was the result of Mr. Beck "employing his extraordinary talent for making anything sound sexy."
Really?
Mr. Beck:
“There’s a war for the future of this country,” Beck told viewers. “It’s being waged right now.”
Damn straight.
Though apparently Ms. Jasiewicz found this laughably implausible, I would ask her to review the course of the last eighteen months and re-consider. The times are indeed troubled, and the president is focused here at home, with an eye to re-make the nation in his own vision of centralized authority dominated by governmental cronyism. Such ego-centrism is unconscionable. The world will not wait. His relentless undermining of the nation's economy and the American spirit will extinguish the main driver of the world's best hope for freedom.
Isia, forget Beck. Give Hayek a try. You wont regret it.
This gal just graduated from college and she is writing a piece for Newsweek. Good for her. It's a light hearted look at the Glen Beck phenomena, and was a little off on her references to Friedrich Hayek. I admit she could have nailed that down a little tighter before going to print, and I suppose it is a disservice to her readers if she is not grounded in the facts of the matter, but it reads well and has a fun feel to it. Okay, okay, I know...but perhaps the Beck and Hayek fans needn't be quite so thin skinned.
ReplyDeleteI took a peak at a couple of her college pieces and thought them warm and engaging. I think I like Isia Jasiewicz, and look forward to hearing more from her.
Well, she writes clearly, even cleverly, and I haven't read any of her college stuff (yet. I will, I will.), but I was quite bothered by another spot where she didn't seem to be any too "grounded in the facts of the matter" -- her "review" of The Overton Window:
ReplyDeleteToo bad there’s very little that’s intriguing about Beck’s political intrigue.
...
But I stopped reading at page 10...
Kids. Whaddya gonna do?
: ) !!
ReplyDeleteSo let me get this straight nicholas. If an article, as you say, "reads well and has a fun feel to it," than that means it's ok to be 150% wrong about the facts? You're all being manipulated like sheep and common sense can't even save you. Try reading both The Overton Window and Road To Serfdom, unlike the the Newsweek employee that couldnt be bothered to do when writing about them. Maybe you'll open you're eyes to reality and stop acting like sheeple.
ReplyDeleteTwo stays by the board, hey? How many does that leave you with? Better drop the sails and hope the mast doesn't roll out in the rough seas. Still, I imagine that's better than three sheets to the wind, which is essentially what your assessment of my response is.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the article I am arguing for, it's the writer. I pointed out some of the deficiencies in the article, and suggested the author reconsider her position from a more informed stand. Mr. Beck's position I whole heartedly agreed with (ie "Damn straight").
The Overton Window? That might be something to look at, but from the outside looking in it strikes me in the same vein as one of Buckley's spy novels. Fun, and the ideology is sound, but is this really where Buckley was at his best?
Look, I'm just not all that upset about finding out a twenty-two year old writing an opinion piece on Glen Beck has it wrong, and my approach in response is to encourage her to look into it further. Your approach is a far more partisan defense, and I believe it forces the person you disagree with to take a position she might not otherwise be trying so hard to defend. I am saying the response from some on the right is over the top given the age of this young writer, and it is polarizing.
Of course she should research her work better. Of course she is way off base on Hayek. Beck... eh, perhaps not so much. But let us move our argument forward, not entrench people that have not fully formed their own opinion.
Anyways, thanks for dropping by.
A 22 year old Princeton educated intern should, first, know the very basics of journalism, fact checking and investigation, (that may put Princeton in a worse light than Ms. Jasiewicz)and second, though I'm not familiar with common practice, I believe that puts her in a position where she should not be writing public articles for Newsweek at all. To me it seems that Newsweek (the same Newsweek that declared "we're all socialists now," in celebration, on their cover in the past) sent out a lowly intern to take a hack stab at Beck. So what's left? The only part of her writing that remains defendable is, maybe, grammar and spelling, and that I bet an editor takes care of anyhow.
ReplyDeleteMy "partisan defense" is as an informed and patriotic American. As you seem to acknowledge Beck's assesment of a war being waged in America, it would seem you are, atleast somewhat, informed yourself. Im sure you consider yourself patriotic as well but what side are you on?
Are you for the government takeover or the socializing of the private sector? Do you believe in collective liberty over individual freedom? Do you believe the green movement has pure intent? Do you believe in a UN run globalized system of government? Because this is what the other side wants, this is what the progressive right and left have been pushing since Teddy Roosevelt.
This is what you need to wake up to, because if you dont you will fall into 1 of two categories, analogous to the National Socialist Party of WWII, you will either be the nazi or you will be the complacent German who allows, or assists, their Jew neighbors to be sent to the slaughter. It may not be that extreme but, than again, it could be. History has never allowed for a peaceful transition to tyrrany. And I wouldn't expect America to go that way.
What I do expect is that enough Americans will wake up while there's still time to reclaim and restore our country with peace and dignity.
Yes, I hope I am somewhat informed. I have been observing this president expand the Federal government and behave in a manner extremely offensive in regards to his blatant disregard to the rule of law and his abuse of common citizens and private industries. It is absolutely outrageous, and I am in full agreement with you on those things that matter most.
ReplyDeleteIsia Jasiewicz's Newsweek piece on Beck is largely how you say. What then shall we have done with this twenty-two year old recent college grad. Make her walk the plank? Glen Beck isn't the least bit put out by her critique. As you say it is far too flimsy an argument to be taken seriously, and the contra-temps over it stirs up a healthy interest. Newsweek wanted a take down of Beck, and they weren't too particular about the facts. That is hardly news about Newsweek. Yet despite Newsweek's attempt to minimize Beck's influence, the result is that they have stirred up interest in Friedrich Hayek. There are people reading our argument right now who had never even heard of Friedrich Hayek prior to this, let alone read him. I take this new found exposure of Hayek to be a good thing. Beck has succeeded, again.
Two Stays, did you follow the discussion at Robert Stacy McCain's? You are obviously well informed, argue your side capably and are in the right of it regarding this Newsweek article and Newsweek in general. The only place we differ is in our approach to responding to this young writer.
Anyways, well said. Come by and drop a comment anytime.
Wow, I really didn't expect you to respond that way. HA! Now that I know we're on the same side I'll apologize for my first response, which I thought was a little confrontational in retrospect, even before I read your latest comment. ...I don't think you're sheeple anymore.
ReplyDeleteLets be clear, I believe Newsweek deserves the brunt of the punishment, Americans need to realize that news media has been in the disinformation and propaganda business for a very long time. Many don't know that some of the best ideas the Nazi's had utilized came from America ie. propaganda, detention/ labor camps, euthanasia.
What most universities are teaching students, today, is complacency, just do what the boss says. These people can't even write a cohesive article anymore, nevermind their incompetence to accomplish any true fact finding.
However, Miss Jasiewicz is not let off the hook because her ivy league college is in bed with progressive revolutionaries.
Free thinking is something that is punished today, from kindergarten to college. Where we used to teach people HOW to think, we now force WHAT to think down their throats.
Isia Jasiewicz, no matter what her political identification, should have a strong enough sense of self respect to avoid companies that would sully her name and livelihood. And that's precisely what Newsweek has done to her, and while I may empathize, I don't sympathize with her. What she should do is realize that her boss' sent fresh meat to the front lines and didnt care if she never came back.
If Newsweek wants to be a big government pandering attack dog to free thinkers, right wingers and libertarians(Though I wouldn't defend a progressive republican for my life), than power to them, and power to Isia Jasiewicz for joining her team, if that's what she believes.
But Newsweek runs it's false flag up the pole sailing from port to port recruiting, however talented they may be, mindless lemmings to influence the undecided masses. They hope a young person or those folks that were never really into politics until recently will walk by a magazine stand, see a provocative Newsweek cover, buy one, and slowly transition into the depraved thought process of American progressivism.
Oh and I did read the real fact checking at Robert Stacy McCain's site, now that's journalism (without the journalist).
ReplyDelete"Free thinking is something that is punished today, from kindergarten to college. Where we used to teach people HOW to think, we now force WHAT to think down their throats."
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the saddest developments in our education system. From Junior High's to High Schools to our best Universities, what used to be the home of competing ideas and the crucible where our young people would learn to think critically and on their own has ceded to a uniform pc correctness that is stifling and anything but liberal.
Your references to the loss of freedom that occured at the end of the Weimer Republic as the National Socialist Party of Adolph Hitler took control and kidnapped the nation are prescient. I looked at Defying Hitler a while back, a book that described this very event in a very vivid and thoughtful manner. So much of what he said seemed eerily familiar. It is well worth the read.
Anyway, thanks again for your comments.