Glenn Beck's Nine Principles

Talk show host, Glenn Beck, has laid out nine principles on his web site that he is using to rally his conservative base of listeners. He is saying if you believe in at least seven of the nine, "you are not alone". For the sake of discussion, I will list these principles, and then give my take on each. They are as follows:

The Nine Principles

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

So let's break these down, one by one.

1. America is good.

This statement is meaningless. America, as in The United States of America, is not a unified thing, but rather a collective of people of many types. Some are primarily "good", some are quite evil. Within any one individual, there are qualities that are both good, and not-so-good. The nature of America as a whole is a reflection of its constituent citizenry. While I believe that we probably have high ideals as a nation, I am not sure that you could use the adjective "good" in relation to any group of disparate people.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

While this statement is true of many people, it is not true of all. If a person's religion gives them a reason to treat their fellow human beings with respect and kindness, that is fine. However, history has shown us that religious fervor tends to drive men to acts of great evil, warfare, and killing in the name of their god. People create gods that love what they love, and hate what they hate. In other words, our gods are created in our image. I would imagine Osama bin Laden would agree with principle #2.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

I can agree with this one, given the qualifier of understanding the benefits of tact and diplomacy; and that an honest character allows for tact and sparing of the feelings of others.

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

I am not sure what Beck means by "sacred" as an adjective for family. I would agree that family is extremely important to most of us. I believe most of us would sacrifice greatly, perhaps even our own existence, for the benefit of our loved ones. Still, what is meant by "ultimate authority"? In personal matters, the individual should be their own authority in personal affairs. However, as part of a society, we also are not completely autonomous. None of us can individually overrule the laws of the society in which we live. I can see it now..."Honest officer, I say the speed limit is 90 miles per hour here, and I am the ultimate authority". Surely this is not what Beck means here, particularly given the next principle.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

So although this seemingly is in contradiction to principle #4, Beck lists it here. I largely agree with this one, although we have seen political leaders of both parties act as if they are not subject to the laws they are empowered with creating and enforcing. Blind justice is an ideal, but in many cases not a reality, as there is a separate justice for those of wealth and power who can afford the best legal representation and tactics unavailable to the poor in our society.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

I agree, but it doesn't mean that we don't have responsibilities to the less fortunate.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

This is related to #6. I strongly disagree with the direction Beck is taking here. The government levying taxes and then using some of those funds to provide for the less fortunate in our society is not forcing anyone to be "charitable"; rather it is a legitimate role of government. Even the most successful and wealthy people didn't make it without being part of a society that provided their opportunities. Given that, those with greater means have some responsibility back to the society that afforded them the chance to achieve their success. This should not be a nation of every man for himself, where the successful can say, "I've got mine. Too bad for you."

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

I agree strongly with this one, despite the fact that the Bush Administration and its supporters were singing a different tune for the last eight years. Dissent is patriotic, and free speech a protected right.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

The government works for all of us collectively. It doesn't mean any one individual is in a position of authority over the government. In our democratic republic, we can elect our leaders, so in that sense I agree. However, I disagree with Beck, in that we all answer to government. They can levy taxes, pass laws to regulate our behavior, and even seize our assets by following due process.

So those are my thoughts on Beck's principles. I'd like to hear from you on this. Feel free to send me your comments.