Add Commentary magazine to the growing list of conservative commentators and outlets that are pushing back against Glenn Beck's increasingly unhinged apocalyptic rhetoric on Egypt.
In a February 7 blog post, Commentary's Alana Goodman criticized the “distribution of blatant misinformation” about Egypt and stated that Beck, “instead of taking a hard, sober look at a situation that will have major ramifications for the U.S., has been using his high-profile FOX and radio shows to, in fact, misinform. The new theory Beck appears to be pushing is that the Egyptian revolt is being controlled by an alliance between leftist American organizations and Islamists.” Goodman continued:
The danger of Beck's theorizing is that he's spreading the misconception that the uprising in Egypt was initiated by anti-democratic groups, and that it's Islamist at its core. While there's no doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood and socialist organizations have become involved in the protests, they didn't start the uprising, and that's not what the protests are about.
Yes, there are many reasons to be concerned about Islamist groups, especially the Muslim Brotherhood, gaining control in Egypt. But there are also many reasons to be hopeful for democracy. It's difficult enough to calculate the best course for Egypt based on the known facts. Throwing unknown, or inaccurate, “facts” into the mix doesn't serve anyone's interests.