Today's edition of the Los Angeles Times includes media columnist James Rainey's take on how “Glenn Beck's hysterical rants about Egypt play on fear.” Media Matters has extensively covered the past week of Beck's increasingly paranoid conspiracy-mongering regarding the Egyptian protests, during which he claimed progressive groups, American labor unions, and a host of other supposedly shadowy figures helped to orchestrate an uprising that would lead to the establishment of a massive, jihadist caliphate.

From Rainey's column:

What seemed like a joyous and hopeful turning point to most others in the media, including some of his Fox Newscolleagues, appeared to Beck, instead, as a foreboding and likely ruinous event for Egypt, for the Mideast and possibly for all of humanity.

The author, entertainer and onetime stand-up comedian has had many low moments in his relentless pursuit of the lowest common denominator, but this week's embrace of fear and loathing may have been the nadir. Beck again proved he is the current exemplar of what political scientist Richard J. Hofstadter defined as the “paranoid style” in American politics.

In the case of Egypt and its democracy movement, the Fox News performer sees not the energetic amalgam of students, shopkeepers, bureaucrats, intellectuals and professionals who virtually every real journalist in Cairohas described in recent days. Beck's evening chalkboard talks instead fulminate endlessly about the shadowy forces that will surely bring “the coming insurrection.”

You can read the rest here.