Chasing phantasms and vilifying the injured

The big news of the week is obviously the Boston Marathon bombings, and the Chechen brothers responsible. Why’d they do it? Glenn Beck thinks he knows:


He’s apparently desperate to promote the ideas presented in this report by The Blaze proclaiming a link to Saudi Arabia and/or the Muslim Brotherhood. The link Beck proclaims is being covered up criminally, however, is a Saudi national who was injured by the bombing, then tackled by a bystander because he looked suspicious, then questioned by police while he was being treated for his injuries. His apartment was also rifled through — with his permission, not that I figure he had much of a choice but to grant said permission.

Meanwhile, the bombing suspects are Chechen immigrants, one of whom is now dead. Chechnya has its own insurgency going on presently, and I admit, it might have an Islamic link, but said link is being pursued and not covered up. Glenn Beck is after ephemeral links that fit his overarching narrative of racism and xenophobia against Islam, and he can’t even consider the possibility that there’s more than one group of people in the world who might be responsible for any terrorist act.

Meanwhile, how much disinformation is he sowing, and how many people will be grossly and irrevocably misinformed as a result? And more worryingly, how many reactionaries will take it upon themselves to turn vigilante as a result of his careless accusations?

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

{advertisement}
Chasing phantasms and vilifying the injured
{advertisement}

5 thoughts on “Chasing phantasms and vilifying the injured

  1. 3

    Interviews of the suspects’ uncle (who lives in Maryland) suggests that they’ve been living in the US for just over a decade. So I’m skeptical that there’s any political motive to the deed, beyond perhaps simple grudge-holding. But we’ll see as more information comes in (which is probably the biggest difference between the majority of commenters on this forum and, say, Glenn Beck).

Comments are closed.