Beck: Springsteen's "Born in the USA" is Anti-American

[Political Junky]

Glenn Beck vs. Bruce Springsteen | The Atlantic Wire

Glenn Beck vs. Bruce Springsteen
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By Max Fisher on March 12, 2010 12:04pm
Glenn Beck vs. Bruce Springsteen

Did you know that Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen's hit 1984 song about a Vietnam veteran's difficult return home, is also "anti-American"? You would if you listened to Glenn Beck's radio show. Beck gives the lyrics a dark, sardonic reading, concluding, "That's what America's about, according to Bruce Springsteen. See, here is the thing that I don't think people understand yet, that I think you do. This it is time for us to wake up out of our dream state. Wake up out of the propaganda. This is the thing that people who come from the Soviet bloc or Cuba, they're all saying, 'How do you guys not hear this? How are you not seeing this?' Well, because we don't ever expect it."



As Lindsay Beyerstein points out, President Ronald Reagan ran into ideological issues with Springsteen back in 1984 over the song. Reagan praised the song while campaigning for reelection in New Jersey and even used it briefly as his campaign song, until Springsteen asked him to stop. The Boss is not afraid of politics. Last year, Springsteen even got involved the New Jersey's governor's race.

 

[Xenophon]

It certinly wasn't a positive song about America, which made the fact Reagan used it all the more amusing.

 

[Dr Gregg]

CAn't believe there are so many people who watch that fool and buy the shit he says. Oh wait, having read many of the stupid comments on this forum, it isn't surprising

 

[Oldandtired]

It was Springsteins chance fpor a political statement, just as Avatar has one as well.
But both are still entertaining to me regardless.
We all would like to make our political statements....only some of us have the means...

Beck may be right with his assessment...but I personally dont care. I am not my neighbor, but I respect him.

 

[eagleseven]

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just covering up

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"

I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go

I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

 

[Vanquish]

Beck makes his money convincing his audience that he (and they because they listen and believe) represents "true Americans"...and he's educating/saving them from all those big, bad evils out there like Socialism.

There will always be people who want to belong...who want others to be the evil ruining the world...and who seek salvation.

 

[Oldandtired]

Beck makes his money convincing his audience that he (and they because they listen and believe) are the "true Americans"...and he's educating/saving them from all those big, bad evils out there like Socialism.

There will always be people who want to belong...who want others to be the evil ruining the world...and who seek salvation.

Interesting...and accurate.

Such is why Obama attacking corporate America is a valid tactic for him. People like to believe the others are evil and they are the victims.

 

[Vanquish]

Yep. Everyone needs their Satan...and it's someone else.

 

[Oldandtired]

Yep. Everyone needs their Satan...and it's someone else.

Nope. Not everyone.
I have no one to blame but myself for my mistakes.
When I started to believe that, and live by it, I noticed repeat mistakes started to wane.
I wonder why that is.....????

 

[Vanquish]

Yep. Everyone needs their Satan...and it's someone else.

Nope. Not everyone.
I have no one to blame but myself for my mistakes.
When I started to believe that, and live by it, I noticed repeat mistakes started to wane.
I wonder why that is.....????

Oh I agree with you on personal responsibility. I misspoke. The spirit of what I typed wasn't truly meant to be literally "everyone". I meant to cast in a pejorative light those who want to fix others before they fix themselves.

 

[Oldandtired]

Yep. Everyone needs their Satan...and it's someone else.

Nope. Not everyone.
I have no one to blame but myself for my mistakes.
When I started to believe that, and live by it, I noticed repeat mistakes started to wane.
I wonder why that is.....????

Oh I agree with you on personal responsibility. I misspoke. The spirit of what I typed wasn't truly meant to be literally "everyone". I meant to cast in a pejorative light those who want to fix others before they fix themselves.

Yes...I was just elaborating and ensuring all knew what was meant. I have read your posts. You are not partisan. You are one of strong convictions and I respect what you write.

 

[Vanquish]

Much appreciated. I'm still new around here so I dont mind getting the help putting my message across

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I'll never understand the "appeal" of Bruce Springstein.

You can make a case that God might not like us all that much because he took Frank Zappa and John Lennon and stuck us with "the Boss" and the Rolling Stones.

 

[rightwinger]

Only Glenn Beck can truly explain what it was like for a Vet returning from VietNam.

If Beck says they were unamerican then they are unamerican

 

[rightwinger]

I'll never understand the "appeal" of Bruce Springstein.

You can make a case that God might not like us all that much because he took Frank Zappa and John Lennon and stuck us with "the Boss" and the Rolling Stones.

Zappa sucked

A pure clown act

 

[elvis]

I'll never understand the "appeal" of Bruce Springstein.

You can make a case that God might not like us all that much because he took Frank Zappa and John Lennon and stuck us with "the Boss" and the Rolling Stones.

Zappa sucked

A pure clown act

but he knew how to pick baby-names.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I'll never understand the "appeal" of Bruce Springstein.

You can make a case that God might not like us all that much because he took Frank Zappa and John Lennon and stuck us with "the Boss" and the Rolling Stones.

Zappa sucked

A pure clown act

Zappa's first band with the Indian drummer could mop the floor up with the E Street Band

Stick to stuff you know like....well, er, um.

 

[Article 15]

I'll never understand the "appeal" of Bruce Springstein.

You can make a case that God might not like us all that much because he took Frank Zappa and John Lennon and stuck us with "the Boss" and the Rolling Stones.

Zappa sucked

A pure clown act

I think those might be fighting words to Frank ....

 

[elvis]

I'll never understand the "appeal" of Bruce Springstein.

You can make a case that God might not like us all that much because he took Frank Zappa and John Lennon and stuck us with "the Boss" and the Rolling Stones.

Zappa sucked

A pure clown act

I think those might be fighting words to Frank ....

but Frank's words are fighting words to Jillian.

 

[Article 15]

Zappa sucked

A pure clown act

I think those might be fighting words to Frank ....

but Frank's words are fighting words to Jillian.

True dat.

I wonder who's number is next in this Royal Rumble?