Reddit mentions of Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine

Several years ago, in an effort to better understand that side of the aisle, I took a coworkers advice and borrowed Common Sense to read over the summer. While there was certainly a lot of content I didn't agree with it was overall a well written book, and he went through great lengths to explain why he felt the way he did. It actually opened my eyes to the real problems of gerrymandering and how effective it is at marginalizing large groups of individuals in a voting population.

Point being, Beck has always been a very intelligent person and the character you saw / heard on his show was just that, a character. While he is absolutely a devout conservative, I think he's capable of being much more reasonable when he isn't paid to be a jerkoff. Something tells me that's the case with a lot of media personalities, which is what makes them so reprehensible.

gotta love how beck writes a book and calls it "inspired by thomas paine", a man that was a classical liberal, supported free public education and social security, and criticized organized religion. I still struggle to accept that so many millions of americans can be so irrational.

I simply COULD NOT agree more with the OP (johnboy15). Case-in-point: the one part of the Republican Party with integrity -- however kooky they may seem to some, they do have integrity (Ron Paul & Co.) -- are now being co-opted by the liars. Fox News and Co. has set up Glenn Beck as the way to shepherd Paulites into the "mainstream" Republicans fold. This is because they know if Republicans were actually conservative, the whole gravy train -- the handouts to big business, the wars for Israel, the splintering of the electorate over nonsense issues like abortion -- would come to a screeching halt.

1. Ron Paul supporters use this flag as a symbol? So what does Glenn Beck use as the symbol of his new 9.12 project?
   
   
2. Ron Paul supporters revisit Thomas Paine's classic work? So what does Glenn Beck use his pulpit to write?
   
   
3. Ron Paul is the first mainstream figure to start criticizing the Fed and one of his biggest supporters is Peter Schiff? Glenn Beck invites who on this show to say "The Fed got us into this mess"?

Not a big fan of the man overall.. but do read his book, "Common Sense".

Hmm , who be selling GB's book again ?

There appears to be a hilarious name calling war raging over the one star versus five star Amazon.com book reviews , lol !

Mean while back on the New York Times best seller list , it is marked purchased by the pallet load , lmao !

Glenn Beck has already tainted that name.

I still can't believe he invoked the name of Thomas Paine, and "common sense" to boot.

Yeah, yeah! There is already a book out that we could promote it with too!

A couple of quotes. Would today's conservatives agree?

Thomas Jefferson:
>Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they rise. Whenever there is in any country, uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as a common stock for man to labour and live on.

WHAT? No flat tax???

Thomas "Common Sense" Paine: (Agrarian Justice)
>Paine proposed a detailed plan to tax property owners to pay for the needs of the poor, which could be considered as the precursor of the modern idea of citizen's income or basic income. The money would be raised by taxing all direct inheritances at 10%, and "indirect" inheritances - those not going to close relations - at a somewhat higher rate;

Do I remember Glenn Beck writing a book about how GREAT Thomas Paine was?
http://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Becks-Common-Sense-Control/dp/1439168571

I think we should all read Common Sense