And We Shall Fill It With High School Sophomores
Glenn Beck, Grand Wizard of Goofy, not only has moved to Texas, he’s opening a commune here.
Yeah, that worked out real well for David Koresh.
Beck wants to use Ayn Rand’s fictional utopian “Galt’s Gulch.” The key word here is fictional. I give it a week before it becomes Lord of the Flies.
[Beck is] unveiling grandiose plans to create an entirely self-sustaining community called Independence Park that will provide its own food and energy, produce television and film content, host research and development, serve as a marketplace for products and ideas, while also housing a theme park and serving as a residential community.
At the center — in the middle of the lake that is itself larger than all of Disney Land – Beck (with the help of David Barton) will create a massive “national archive”/learning center where people can send their children to be “deprogrammed” and elected officials can come to learn “the truth.”
Dude, that’s Jamestown.
My best hope is that they secede and can’t vote in America. On the upside, it will be nice to have people in robes selling flowers at airports again.
And, hell, if it does go Lord of the Flies and they all kill each other, that does kinda prove our national selection theory.
Thanks to everybody for the heads up.
The question to be asked in cases such as this, is also the almost mythical motto of Chicago in the 1970s ‘Ubi est mea?’
1Hey Rick, Glenny is stepping on your lines! I think he read your post from the other day and his eyes started to glisten and he thought “I can make money with that idea!”
Just sorry it’s him and not you, your school would be better! And that deprogramming stuff they talk about makes me shiver. I think it mainly consists of “Repeat after me: WHITE MEN ARE THE BEST! Now say it again! Again!”
2It is very scary!
Just what we need – Beckanoia the moron and Barton the LIAR using their combined IDIOCY to re-create their INSANITY. I call it CHILD ABUSE~but not really worried – it will never happen – none of Beckanoia’s plans ever come to fruition and hopefully the cult will not get enough imbeciles involved for the GRIFTERS to make money~
3What sort of “research and development” are they going to do? Actual science? What will they do if their research confirms the world is a LOT older than 6,000 years and evolution is true?
I have commented here before that some conservatives should secede and form their own community. I predict it would not last long. This might be the next best thing to them forming their own country.
Conservatives love freedom. Until someone disagrees.
4Can we just throw up a big ol’ barbed wire fence with razor wire facing IN around it?
5The sparkle of the tinfoil hats will be dazzling.
6Sounds more like Jonestown rather than Jamestown to me. A truly scary idea which, of course, may never happen. It would be rather expensive to build and Beck may lack the cred to gather that much money.
7First, the entire economic engine of Galt’s Gulch was driven by a source of energy that is, essentially, a perpetual motion machine. It’s one of the many reasons why Ayn Rand’s novel is considered science fiction.
This is so typical of Beck. He’s a showman-shaman-sham, in the grand tradition of scam-artists and con men who have bilked the greedy gullible of their gelt with promises of miracel elixirs, transubstantiated gold and, yes, perpetual motion machines.
Anybody who is dumb enough to buy into this gets what they deserve.
8Horrifically—I’m seeing more of a Jonestown.
9This man is in the grip of an extreme bi-polar manic episode. Why doesn’t anyone get him some *help*? I’m serious. This isn’t even entertaining anymore. It’s like watching the Britney Spears meltdown all over again, down to every handler and “advisor” and entourage-leech around her continuing to enable her, to prop her up – one more show! one more record! one more photo! – and all so as to squeeze just a couple more dollars out of a heartbreakingly ill girl. What’s the difference? My God in heaven, it’s sickening.
10I’m all for his creating a self-sustaining community under two conditions:
1. It’s NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard.
2. It’s fully self-sustaining, meaning that it keeps all of its garbage and shit within its own fence line.
11And everyone there will worship the great god Beck….
12Don’t you have that Mormon off-shoot site down there in TX? The Gates of Zion or some such thing led by now-imprisoned Warren Jeffs for raping little girls and getting them pregnant and their Momma’s all dressed up in pioneer-style dresses with those ugly hairdos? They are all fenced in, as well and led by idiots! That’s what Beck’s brainchild sounds like to me … part of the FLDS clan!!
13Suggestions for religious or Utopian seekers: never join a group that requires you to wear ugly clothes; never join a group that delegates personal decisions to the leader; never join a group that would try to stop you should you decide to walk away.
14The “also housing a theme park” part is the one that slays me…what’s it gonna be called…”Six Flags Over Crazy” ? “Nut’s Berry Farm” ?
15Didn’t Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker try something like this? Seems to me it didn’t turn out so well.
16Duh – I meant Jonestown. I’m blonde.
17If I had one wish for Glenn Beck it would be that he hook up with a dishonest partner.
Then he announces that he is in business with David Barton!
I couldn’t have scripted it better myself!
18I hope that if Glenn Beck picks a motto for his commune, that he’s not shortsighted. If he just looks a little to the future, to when the precepts of Ayn Rand have had a chance to kick in, the phrase “I hate you for your freedom” will be most appropriate.
19Ayn Rand + Glenn Beck = Galt’s Gutter
Just when I forget all about this loon–BAM! He’s back!! Why did he move to Texas?!!
20Does anyone else see the hypocrisy here?????
This is the kind of idiotic stuff they accuse the President of ” going to do with the help of the UN.”
Unbelievable….
21One of Beck’s more “inspired” (?) pranks while on radio was the first air-conditioned “underground amusement park” to be called “Magicland.”
He – and some other radio guy – set up this elaborate hoax, complete with jingles, ads, “announcements” about said amusement park, set to open on such and such a day. People drove all over the place on the so-called opening day trying to find the place that wasn’t.
Here’s hoping this is just more of the same.
22160 acre lake with a castle….whoops I mean learning institution in the middle. Pretty large moat if you ask me.
23I wonder if Glenny will ask for Federal subsidies for his self-sustaining energy. Assuming, of course, that the Galtian energy engine fails to perform as expectrd.
24Doesn’t Warren Jeffs have a big, self-sustaining ranch to sell?
25Now, I like the self-sustaining part. I’ll be real impressed if they all figure out how to grow their own food and make their own fabric from home-grown fibers. I think the whole thing will be very educational, don’t you? Give them a chance. Just keep some loving mamas and daddys hanging around to help with the fallout.
26Good grief. He is more likely to get the perpetual motion machine than the 160 acres of a lake with actual water. There ain’t much water in Texas to begin with and we are in historic draught. Some one needs to tell him that there is a famous saying in Texas “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over.”
27Hum. Let’s see. He’s got a planned community with a shared vision: could be a cult. Let’s wait and see if the Beckmeister applies for a charter school. I’m betting it’s a non-profit, gated community posing as a religious organization. Why, you ask? No taxes. Which would so appeal to Beck and his homies.
grammy97, Yearning for Zion ranch isn’t on the market, yet. Mr. Jeffs and his associates have to clear up the State of Texas’s pesky little fraud thingy before clear title to compound can be transferred.
28It just soaked in. Of course if it ever gets off the ground they can get grant money for solar applications. I know we will gag at it but this might help us promote renewable energy. We’ll just keep our eyes and ears open. And don’t blame ME for Beck moving to Texas. It was humiliating enough to have Karl Rove move to Texas. Curious: where in Texas does Beck live? Oh never mind, this isn’t anything we need to stick our fingers in.
29He wants to found a “self-sustaining” community in a state in the midst of a major drought? What’s he planning on doing for water? Don’t answer that.
30Give them all guns, and stand back…
31He’ll probably be serving the same koolaid that was served at another infamous religious commune. It’ll be Jonestown for stupid white men! A person of color wouldn’t get anywhere near that fool.
32Yep and they are going to find a ” Solution” to global warming.
33I wonder if he has a water supply lined up. And what about waste disposal? I suppose they could require everyone to have a composting toilet and a gray water collection system that could be used for irrigation but even if you claim to be independent, someone is going to live downstream from you and if you foul their water or air, things could get interesting.
Also, because Galt’s Gulch was essentially the Libertopia to beat all Libertopia’s, Ms. Rand didn’t address what happens to the non-conformists who failed to conform to the approved forms of non-conformism. But surely there must have been one or two. Were they shown the door and exiled? Oh wait, they know the secret so they can’t be allowed to go out and reveal it so they have to be either restrained, composted, or placed in a re-education (deprogramming?) facility.
Yes, this has the makings of several seasons of Survivor and with its own TV production facilities, the Beckians could just film themselves.
34Wait, he’s building a “commune” with Ayn Rand principles?? isn’t that an Oxymoron to beat all??
35So people will share with Social Darwin rules??
I see a Darwin award coming up for a whole community.
I don’t think it will be televised, might be even too violent for TV.
I think that knowing a perpetual energy machine is not feasible, the “theme park” which obviously is to bring in outside money will act in that function of perpetual funding instead of energy.
I believe this is best summarized by Bill the Cat:
Gack! Pbbbttthh!
36JJ,
When I saw Jamestown yesterday- I had two thoughts 1) she means Jonestown and 2) JJ is very smart and clever, Jamestown was a Lost Colony – maybe she is using the other historical reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony
Either way, it works. Thanks.
37I have to agree with Kay. Mr. Beck is mentally ill. And I’m typing that in a serious not a snarky tone of voice.
38And if Beckistan is not crazy enough, there is this.
http://wonkette.com/496672/go-galt-in-detroits-centrally-planned-puerto-rico-for-rich-jerks
39Why doesn’t Glenn just move to the current Libertarian Paradise of Somalia?
Actually, I’m with Kay and/or Starr at this point. Illness or Greed? This man is either mentally ill or a slick con-man. AFAIC, he shouldn’t be allowed to own any guns until he’s properly diagonsed. He’s a danger to himself & others based on his past histronics.
Personally, the next time I read about Glenn Beck, I hope the story is accompanied by a picture of him wearing a straight jacket in a very, very long term mental health facility.
40Or Beck could just move to Idaho: http://www.eclectablog.com/2013/01/gun-fetishists-to-start-their-own-walled-compound-in-idaho-encourage-tourists-to-come-see-them.html
41Sometimes history recapitulates science fiction. I wrote a far-future SF novel (came out in 1998) in which the New Texas Godfearing Militia took over a planet and set up their own colony so they could do everything their way and be pure and free from contamination and all that stuff.
It did not end well. Never mind that all the men had guns and kept their wimminfolk barefoot and pregnant and dressed in long modest dresses (except when they wanted one in high heels and nekkid.) Never mind that they extolled the wonderful history of Texas and the Texas Rangers and the Great Star of Liberty. It still did not end well (they kidnapped the wrong rich spoiled blonde to “tame” and re-educate. And they had ticked off other neighboring groups with their habits of piracy, murder, and slavery.)
But in the meantime, real-life Texans (and others–it’s not all Texans) keep moving in that direction even though I made it clear it’s a stupid idea and will lead to tears. Theirs. Glen Beck…frankly, the only time I want to see/hear his name is when he’s been found dead of overly enthusiastic sex.
BTW, Ayn Rand wrote BAD science fiction. Bad in every way you can write bad fiction. Just sayin’.
42Lorraine, while the southern part of Somalia is still pretty chaotic, they do have a government, with a president and parliament. The northern part is run as two autonomous provinces, Puntland and Somaliland. They’re trying to get the place back in order. I don’t think they’d appreciate the US exporting our nutcases.
43