Skousen and the 5000 Year Leap
Salon.com
Meet the man who changed Glenn Beck’s life (by Alexander Zaitchic, 9/16/2009)
Here Zaitchic really smears Cleon Skousen, and then Beck by association. The general method is as follows: “Skousen was a conspiracy nut and right wing extremist, and Beck likes Skousen, so of course Beck is a nut too and a right wing extremist too and a conspiracy nut too.”
THE FACTS:
Beck in his Recommended Book list has one of Skousen’s books. Here is what he says about it.
5000 Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas that Changed the World
by W. Cleon Skousen
Description: All about the philosophies of the founders of our government and why this country needs to be a virtuous country.
Glenn’s Comments: Amen to that. One of those books that you pick up and read a chapter here and there.
The “5000 Year Leap” is primarily how and why the founding fathers structured the US Constitution as they did. It touches only peripherally on other government systems such as Communism. I’ve read the book and learned quite a bit from it. Some things I disagree with and some things are dated.
Some of Skousen’s other writings may well appear conspiratorial to the modern 21st century progressive. Skousen was a principal in the John Birch Society in the 1960s. However, the book was written durng the Cold War. For a while, it was fashionable to ridicule people who asserted that there might be Communist agents in various government agencies. Curiously, though, we now know there to have been many active Soviet espionage conspiracies (reference Venona files, released by NSA in 1995 with added materials later released directly by Soviets.)
Irregardless and to the detriment of Zaitchec, the book in question here is not concerning Communism, but American liberty and American values per the Consitution, Bill of Rights, and per the intent of the Founding Fathers, resulting in capitalism par excellance.
It’s about the ideas of the Founding Fathers of the USA. Zaitchec being “Progressive”, skirts these issues and focuses on ad homimen attacks on the author.
Overall, Beck’s reading list looks excellent, and I believe Skousen’s book is doing just fine residing there. If Zaitchic thinks otherwise, perhaps he would do better to suggest a superior book for the average citizen which similarly describes the vision and resulting work of the Founding Fathers of the United States. It’s not likely that Zaitchic will take this challenge.
Instead Zaitchic would smear the author, Skousen, and Beck by association. One wonders if it is not the ideas behind the formation and enduring strength of this nation which Zaitchic implicitly denigrates by smearing what are, essentially, the messengers.
In conclusion, perhaps Zaitchic’s very strategy has backfired.
Glenn Beck has found communist leaning individuals in the White House.
Just as Skousen warned.
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
