Got a crazy forwarded political email from your family? Post them here.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Got a crazy forwarded political email from your family? Post them here.

Happy Thread: Jul 10, 2005; by Fluffdaddy; Plaster Town Cop

Although not a forward, I thought I would share this.

I get forwards from my mother all the time. We have pretty open, occasionally heated conversations about politics. Lately she's been touting Glenn Beck as a respectable figure.

So yesterday I responded to one of her forwards with a link to GBS's awesome video compilation of crazy Glenn Beck moments, in the "Glenn Beck is crazy" thread.

From that I got the following response. It starts a bit concillatory, but then it goes all over the place on other tangents, showcasing her stunning adherance to Fox News talking points. In particular, notice the part about Glenn Beck being stressed and financially unable to support his family.

mom posted:

The videos definitely did not speak well of Glenn B. at all and were far from flattering, some even over the top. He has some background in comedy which illustrates some of the drama, and depending on the subject matter etc. Definitely he can be cynical sometimes as more information and news presents itself. I've noticed lately that he seems more stressed also. With his daughter's disability he has some big time concerns (and fear, as many do) about some of the issues in the health care reform bill including legal decisions and implications--for the present and even moreso down the road. Adding to the mix, America's quality of healthcare, timeliness of health care, costs of healthcare, whether the procedure or healthcare is approved and to what degree, or if it is refused and declined. Some of the newly appointed czars that president Obama has put in place, have backgrounds and belief systems that are very concerning. Including in the area of our healthcare. There is great concern (shared by much of America) about the authority he will have also in deciding our healthcare, who will receive what, and regarding the relationship between Dr. and patient, including relative to what is deemed "appropriate" and/or necessary patient care as well as how a patient or residen'ts needs will be met. Examples: newborn babys, chronically ill, mentally challenged or impaired,, chronically ill, disabled, or less healthy, and the "elderlly" population. Moreover, rationing of healthcare would be introduced into the system, with incremental changes that would come to pass which would change everything, including the obsorbiant amount of debt that would be incurred . This would mean even a whole lot $$$$$ more of debt, then more "bigger government" and would amount to incrementally, more control of our lives and fewer freedoms. It's a scarry thought to much of America, if government were to be callilng the shots- where individial health concerns, decisions, treatments and surgerys if they that qualify, and costs are concerned. Then there are issues such as how long a person has to wait for surgery or treatment, as well as for MRI's, CAT scans etc. There would be restrictions and requirements expected of our doctors, to include pay incentives and bonused--based on how much money is saved. This would determine how the Dr. is reimbursed (or rewarded).

Irritated at this point, I gave this rebuttal:

me posted:

Where did I mention Obama, healthcare, or any politics at all? We're talking about Glenn Beck here. And if you honestly believe that Beck, a multi-millionare, has any real concerns over his daughter's health care that are not just television theatrics, you've been duped.

Talk to me again when he's got a negative income (like 20% of Americans) and not, I don't know, signing $50 million television contracts.

Something tells me that from watching Fox News, you've picked up some wrong ideas about wealth distribution in America that go far deeper than "wrongly believing Glenn Beck's family will ever have to worry about money." I hope to make you a little better informed on this.

First off, did you know that in 2004, that the top 1% of households owned 34.3% of all privately held wealth? Just the top 1%. Think about that. A tiny 1% of households, owning over a third of America's wealth. That includes guys like Glenn Beck, and most certainly has never included you or your husband - unless at some point you made over $12.5 million, which is necessary to be in the top 1%.

The cutoff for being considered "upper class" in America is miles above what most people realize. The gap between the rich and poor in America is larger, to an incredible extent, than you think it is. People like Glenn Beck are NOT in the same boat as people like you and I, and I mean that in the most extreme sense possible.

Here are some more statistics I want you to think about carefully in order to reconsider your notions that "most" Americans are pretty well-off and not just a tiny handful:

From New York University:

"The bottom 20 percent basically have zero wealth. They either have no assets, or their debt equals or exceeds their assets. The bottom 20 percent has typically accumulated no savings." That's one out of five households.

From Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies:

"In 2004, the wealthiest 25% of US households owned 87% ($43.6 trillion) of the country�s wealth, while the bottom quartile held no net wealth at all [1]. The middle 50% of the country held 13% or $6.5 trillion of the total household net wealth [1].The previous data are taken from analysis of the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) which over samples wealthy households. This over sampling more accurately represents the true wealth distribution [since most of the wealth is concentrated at the top]. This data shows that the top 25% of American society holds on average a net wealth of $1,556,801 which is 33 times more than those of the lower middle class, or the 25th-50th percentile [1].

[1] a b c d e f Growing Wealth, Inequality, and Housing in the United States. Zhu Xiao Di. Feb. 2007. Joint Center for Housing Studies."

Fox News has a huge incentive of keeping their viewers unaware that they're not actually rich, or even anywhere near what it would take to be rich in America. That channel thrives off of telling its viewers that they're the select few, the chosen wealthy ones who must protect their wealth from those wanting handouts (usually implied to be liberal blacks).

If the viewers knew this to be false, which it absolutely is (remember the difference between that top 1% and the remaining 99% of households), they wouldn't be as accepting of the messages of greed and fear constantly pushed to them. But they'd rather not know, because it makes people "feel good" (and therefore watch Fox more, leading to higher ratings) to hear that their wealth can be compared to Glenn Beck's.

No mom, it's not Glenn Beck that is affected by the U.S.'s dismal healthcare system, it's people like you. Turn off your TV and read an almanac and you'll get a much different picture.

Happy Thread fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Jan 20, 2010

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 16:21

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 03:15

Happy Thread: Jul 10, 2005; by Fluffdaddy; Plaster Town Cop

the posted:

I never really encounter people who go the other way. Are there Christian Conservative children who have Atheist Liberal parents?

Strongly doubt it, at least not in amounts that compare.

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 21:56

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Got a crazy forwarded political email from your family? Post them here.