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CounterPunch
February
12, 2003
Bill O'Reilly's
Fascism, Part 2
Goebbels Would Have Been Proud
by TOM GORMAN
Since an article I wrote last month for CounterPunch
("Bill O'Reilly's Fascism,"
January 22), Mr. O'Reilly has graciously assisted in demonstrating
my thesis.
In the original essay, I quote O'Reilly's
most recent definition of fascism: "Using the threat of
terror, which a lawsuit is, to promote policy," (The O'Reilly
Factor, 1/2/03). One correspondent has accused me of being "sloppy"
in supposedly conflating O'Reilly's definition to include all
lawsuits rather than ones used, as O'Reilly stated, "to
promote policy." I find this argument specious in that "to
promote policy" is a sufficiently ambiguous qualifier as
to include nearly any cause for which one might sue. To wit,
the threat O'Reilly made, through his lawyers, to the author
of the <oreilly-sucks.com> website. O'Reilly's lawyers
warn the author that his "unauthorized use of Mr. O'Reilly's
name for commercial use" is a violation of the law (the
website contains advertising banners). "Immediately discontinue
using Mr. O'Reilly's name in any way as a designation for your
website. . . . To the extent that you ignore this request, you
do so at your own peril," threatens Dianne Brandi, a lawyer
for both O'Reilly and Fox News. I would argue that the "policy"
being promoted here by these "fascist terrorists" is
O'Reilly's, namely, wanting to be able to criticize without being
criticized in return.
Perhaps even more indicative of O'Reilly's
fascism, though, was his treatment on the February 4 edition
of the "O'Reilly Factor," of Jeremy Glick, a signer
of the Not In Our Name Statement
of Conscience whose father perished in the World Trade Center
attacks:
O'REILLY: In the "Personal Stories"
segment tonight, we were surprised to find out than an American
who lost his father in the World Trade Center attack had signed
an anti-war advertisement that accused the USA itself of terrorism.
The offending passage read, "We
too watched with shock the horrific events of September 11...
we too mourned the thousands of innocent dead and shook our heads
at the terrible scenes of carnage -- even as we recalled similar
scenes in Baghdad, Panama City, and a generation ago, Vietnam."
With us now is Jeremy Glick, whose father,
Barry, was a Port Authority worker at the Trade Center. Mr. Glick
is a co-author of the book "Another World is Possible."
I'm surprised you signed this. You were
the only one of all of the families who signed...
JEREMY GLICK, FATHER DIED IN WORLD TRADE
CENTER: Well, actually, that's not true.
O'REILLY: Who signed the advertisement?
GLICK: Peaceful Tomorrow, which represents
9/11 families, were also involved.
O'REILLY: Hold it, hold it, hold it,
Jeremy. You're the only one who signed this advertisement.
GLICK: As an individual.
O'REILLY: Yes, as -- with your name.
You were the only one. I was surprised, and the reason I was
surprised is that this ad equates the United States with the
terrorists. And I was offended by that.
GLICK: Well, you say -- I remember earlier
you said it was a moral equivalency, and it's actually a material
equivalency. And just to back up for a second about your surprise,
I'm actually shocked that you're surprised. If you think about
it, our current president, who I feel and many feel is in this
position illegitimately by neglecting the voices of Afro-Americans
in the Florida coup, which, actually, somebody got impeached
for during the Reconstruction period -- Our current president
now inherited a legacy from his father and inherited a political
legacy that's responsible for training militarily, economically,
and situating geopolitically the parties involved in the alleged
assassination and the murder of my father and countless of thousands
of others. So I don't see why it's surprising...
O'REILLY: All right. Now let me stop
you here. So...
GLICK: ... for you to think that I would
come back and want to support...
O'REILLY: It is surprising, and I'll
tell you why. I'll tell you why it's surprising.
GLICK: ... escalating...
O'REILLY: You are mouthing a far left
position that is a marginal position in this society, which you're
entitled to.
GLICK: It's marginal -- right.
O'REILLY: You're entitled to it, all
right, but you're -- you see, even -- I'm sure your beliefs are
sincere, but what upsets me is I don't think your father would
be approving of this.
GLICK: Well, actually, my father thought
that Bush's presidency was illegitimate.
O'REILLY: Maybe he did, but...
GLICK: I also didn't think that Bush...
O'REILLY: ... I don't think he'd be equating
this country as a terrorist nation as you are.
GLICK: Well, I wasn't saying that it
was necessarily like that.
O'REILLY: Yes, you are. You signed...
GLICK: What I'm saying is...
O'REILLY: ... this, and that absolutely
said that.
GLICK: ... is that in -- six months before
the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, starting in the Carter administration
and continuing and escalating while Bush's father was head of
the CIA, we recruited a hundred thousand radical mujahadeens
to combat a democratic government in Afghanistan, the Turaki
government.
O'REILLY: All right. I don't want to...
GLICK: Maybe...
O'REILLY: I don't want to debate world
politics with you.
GLICK: Well, why not? This is about world
politics.
O'REILLY: Because, No. 1, I don't really
care what you think.
GLICK: Well, OK.
O'REILLY: You're -- I want to...
GLICK: But you do care because you...
O'REILLY: No, no. Look...
GLICK: The reason why you care is because
you evoke 9/11...
O'REILLY: Here's why I care.
GLICK: ... to rationalize...
O'REILLY: Here's why I care...
GLICK: Let me finish. You evoke 9/11
to rationalize everything from domestic plunder to imperialistic
aggression worldwide.
O'REILLY: OK. That's a bunch...
GLICK: You evoke sympathy with the 9/11
families.
O'REILLY: That's a bunch of crap. I've
done more for the 9/11 families by their own admission -- I've
done more for them than you will ever hope to do.
GLICK: OK.
O'REILLY: So you keep your mouth shut
when you sit here exploiting those people.
GLICK: Well, you're not representing
me. You're not representing me.
O'REILLY: And I'd never represent you.
You know why?
GLICK: Why?
O'REILLY: Because you have a warped view
of this world and a warped view of this country.
GLICK: Well, explain that. Let me give
you an example of a parallel...
O'REILLY: No, I'm not going to debate
this with you, all right.
GLICK: Well, let me give you an example
of parallel experience. On September 14...
O'REILLY: No, no. Here's -- here's the...
GLICK: On September 14...
O'REILLY: Here's the record.
GLICK: OK.
O'REILLY: All right. You didn't support
the action against Afghanistan to remove the Taliban. You were
against it, OK.
GLICK: Why would I want to brutalize
and further punish the people in Afghanistan...
O'REILLY: Who killed your father!
GLICK: The people in Afghanistan...
O'REILLY: Who killed your father.
GLICK: ... didn't kill my father.
O'REILLY: Sure they did. The al Qaeda
people were trained there.
GLICK: The al Qaeda people? What about
the Afghan people?
O'REILLY: See, I'm more angry about it
than you are!
GLICK: So what about George Bush?
O'REILLY: What about George Bush? He
had nothing to do with it.
GLICK: The director -- senior as director
of the CIA.
O'REILLY: He had nothing to do with it.
GLICK: So the people that trained a hundred
thousand Mujahadeen who were...
O'REILLY: Man, I hope your mom isn't
watching this.
GLICK: Well, I hope she is.
O'REILLY: I hope your mother is not watching
this because you -- that's it. I'm not going to say anymore.
GLICK: OK.
O'REILLY: In respect for your father...
GLICK: On September 14, do you want to
know what I'm doing?
O'REILLY: Shut up. Shut up.
GLICK: Oh, please don't tell me to shut
up.
O'REILLY: As respect -- as respect --
in respect for your father, who was a Port Authority worker,
a fine American, who got killed unnecessarily by barbarians...
GLICK: By radical extremists who were
trained by this government...
O'REILLY: Out of respect for him...
GLICK: ... not the people of America.
O'REILLY: ... I'm not going to...
GLICK: ... The people of the ruling class,
the small minority.
O'REILLY: Cut his mic. I'm not going
to dress you down anymore, out of respect for your father.
We will be back in a moment with more
of THE FACTOR.
GLICK: That means we're done?
O'REILLY: We're done.
After going to commercial, Glick reports
that O'Reilly threatened him. "Get out, get out of my studio
before I tear you to fucking pieces!" Beyond the fascist
threat of physical violence, it is amusing to note that O'Reilly
considers the studio to be "his." The public, in fact,
owns the airwaves over which he broadcasts his fascist rantings.
Furthermore, O'Reilly invited Glick on the show.
After giving in to O'Reilly's threat,
Glick was approached by "nearly all" of the studio
staff who apologized for O'Reilly's behavior, but encouraged
Glick--who was, as he put it, "having a cup of coffee to
calm his nerves" after the near-battery by O'Reilly--to
leave before O'Reilly found out he was still there.
The next day, O'Reilly continued to slander
Glick, citing letters that were supposedly running eight to one
in praise of his bullying. "Glick was out of control and
spewing hatred for this program and his country using vile propaganda.
This is a no-spin zone, and wild ravings will be shut down quick,"
huffed O'Reilly, though Glick argues that the video of the exchange
shows O'Reilly as the one "out of control." Glick dismisses
this as a clear case of "projection" on O'Reilly's
part. One letter writer commented that Glick's "condemnation
of America and his stated sympathy for those who killed his father
was truly appalling," though anyone who reads the transcript
above can see this as an absolute lie.
While completely understanding Glick
not wanting to be brutalized by the fascist O'Reilly, it would
have be an interesting lawsuit against the bully of Fox News.
Also, I would encourage Glick to pursue criminal charges against
O'Reilly with the Manhattan District Attorney's office for violation
of New York Penal Code Section 240.26, "Harassment in the
second degree":
"A person is guilty of harassment
in the second degree when, with intent to harass, annoy or alarm
another person:
1. He or she strikes, shoves, kicks or
otherwise subjects such other person to physical contact, or
attempts or threatens to do the same"
Should Glick be reluctant to press charges,
perhaps it is incumbent upon the Manhattan prosecutor to follow
through on this case for the safety of society. District Attorney
Robert Morgenthau's office can be reached at (212) 335-9000.
Tom Gorman
is an activist and writer living in Glendale, CA. He welcomes
comments at tgorman222@hotmail.com.
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