Book Review: Arguing with Straw Men Part 1

Book Review of Glenn Beck's Arguing with Idiots

Reading the title of this blog post will give you the gist of what I believe this book is. Nonetheless, I will provide specific examples and rebut them. Now, as a former Glenn Beck robot, I decided to take out this book from the library to see if, looking back on it, whether he actually had a relevant argument or whether he was just a loud blowhard.

The Table of Contents

1.  In Defense of Capitalism
2. The Second Amendment
3. Education
4. America's Energy Future
5. Unions
6. Illegal Immigration
7. The Nanny State
8. Owning a Home
9. Economics 101
10. U.S. Presidents
11. Universal Health Care
12. The U.S. Constitution

Now, I will not review each chapter. I will review chapters 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11, since these are the chapters that hold the most substance to Leftists.

 Pages 1-2 is a short non-introduction to Capitalism. Page 3 says: "The truth is that capitalism is neither good nor evil, it just is.... capitalism can... foster an environment where those with the will to succeed have a better chance of achieving their dreams."

A statement, with no basis in reality. There is no opportunity for almost half of Americans. Keynesian economist Joseph Stiglitz echoes this sentiment "US inequality is at its highest point for nearly a century. Those at the top – no matter how you slice it – are enjoying a larger share of the national pie; the number below the poverty level is growing. The gap between those with the median income and those at the top is growing, too. The US used to think of itself as a middle-class country – but this is no longer true."

 So Glenn Beck's assertion is patently false.

Glenn Beck goes onto claim that "true capitalism" has never existed, that under true capitalism, the government wouldn't have bailed out the banks. A common Libertarian talking point. (pp. 4-5)

Pages 8-14 is Glenn Beck's hit-list of "evil capitalists" blaming them, and ultimately the government, for supporting these corporations. However, Beck misses a crucial reality. Which is that, since the beginning of the United States these corporations have been given government help. In other words, according to Beck, "true capitalism" hasn't existed in the history of the United States. An inevitable conclusion from Libertarian ideology.

The Libertarian Von Mises Institute admits that "The American economy has always included a mix of market and political entrepreneurs — self-made men and women as well as political connivers and manipulators. And sometimes, people who have achieved success as market entrepreneurs in one period of their lives later become political entrepreneurs." Although the rest of the article goes on to explain how it isn't Genuine True Infallible Free Market Capitalism, it admits that American state capitalism has always had government intervention in the economy.

Glenn Beck's ideology... is just that. An ideology.

Pages 15-17, 20-24 are about how government bureaucracy is "Socialism." This is utter nonsense to anyone who knows the basic definition of Socialism. 

American Socialist Daniel DeLeon said that Socialism is "that social system under which the necessaries of production are owned, controlled and administered by the people, for the people, and under which, accordingly, the cause of political and economic despotism having been abolished, class rule is at end. That is socialism, nothing short of that."

"political and economic despotism having been abolished" means that the government is abolished. In other words, the lack of a government bureaucracy would be Socialism. Glenn Beck's not attacking Socialism or "crony Socialism" but just the government.

Pages 24-27 is an attack on Leninist style Socialism in countries like Estonia. Missing the fact that there are anti-authortarian Leftists who opposed the Leninist program. Such figures like George Orwell, Rosa Luxemburg, Anton Pannekoek and so on. Therefore, Glenn Beck's criticism of Socialism is completely irrelevant to how actual Socialists have understood Socialism.

Ironically, on page 28-29 Beck calls Socialism "a theory" not something which has actually existed. Neglecting to mention historical examples like the Israel Kibbutz, Anarcho-Syndicalist Spain and European Social Democracy. Yet, at the same time, advocating a utopian capitalism without the existence of government.

The chapter did not "defend" Capitalism, neither did it "attack" Socialism. It just wasted time and paper. Beck posits utopian Capitalism as opposed to utopian Socialism. Something which doesn't explain away the realities of today's economy.

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More to come...