Right-Wing Voices Scoff at Occupy Wall Street

Republic of Gilead has a post on the Stop the Machine and Occupy D.C. demonstrations in Washington D.C., as well as commentary links on the Occupy Wall Street movement. For this post, I'd like to direct attention to the hostile comments some right-wing voices have made about the movement.

Whatever one might think of Occupy Wall Street's strategy, the motivations behind it are genuine. Too many Americans have fallen victim to hard economic times, with no help in sight. Meanwhile, the close relationship between corporations and lawmakers angers those who believe in democracy. There is a hunger for economic justice in this country, and Occupy Wall Street is channeling that hunger into something positive.

However, many voices on the far right do not agree. As the Occupiers grow in strength and numbers, several right-wing figures continue to mock the movement, accusing it of a litany of wrongs.

-- First, as mentioned in a prior post, Glenn Beck told an audience at the 2011 Values Voters Summit that "The violent left is coming to our streets, all of our streets to smash, tear down, kill, bankrupt, to destroy." He insisted that Occupy Wall Street, flash mobs, and "redistribution-of-wealth people" want to take from others and seek revenge.

Beck did not stop there. On the October 10th edition of his radio show, he also made inflammatory comments about Occupy Wall Street. At the 2:51 mark of the video below, Beck claimed that a "top down" effort reminiscent of the Night of Long Knives would be necessary to contain the protesters. (Hat tip to the Huffington Post.)

"Nancy Pelosi, do you really think these people are your friends? Are you guys stupid? ... Do you really think that you're going to be able to somehow or another control these people? The only way you'll do it, gang, is top down, bottom up, and inside out, and it will be the Night of Long Knives. It will be a purging of this country. You encourage this, and it's going to require the top to come down and stop it."
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