RFK Jr.

In case you missed it (and I'm betting most of you did, since the ratings were rotten), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went off during a speech at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium on Saturday, July 7. Advertised as a non-political concert (or series of concerts) "to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis," Kennedy proved otherwise in his rant:

...And so I am going to tell you this, that the next time you see John Stossel or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity --- these Flat Earthers, these corporate toadies, lying to you, lying to the American public, and telling you that global warming doesn't exist --- you send an email to their advertisers and tell them that you are not going to buy their products anymore....

Kennedy referred to "these Flat Earthers" along with the "rotten policiticans" who may likewise question global warming, or at least man's effects on global warming, or even just possible solutions, as "traitors."

Last week, Thursday night, Glenn Beck had Kennedy on his CNN Headline News show to ask Kennedy what his sentence should be for being a traitor (taken from transcript):

KENNEDY: You asked me a question, what your sentence should be. Your sentence should be that you should have to read the IPCC report and from cover to cover. And I know you don`t have it. I don`t mean this with any particular disrespect, but I don`t believe that you have a long attention span.

BECK: I am trying to ask questions, sir, honest questions. And yet you call me a fascist for asking questions. You, sir -- and I know you probably, and I mean no disrespect -- probably have even a shorter attention span, because I'm only asking you to read the definition of fascist. What, sir, is a definition of fascist? In your world, someone who says, "Wait a minute, slow down, let`s just talk about this before we spend all kinds of money and raise all kinds of taxes, let`s just slow down, sir."

KENNEDY: Let me answer your question. You asked me what the definition of fascist is. The American Heritage Dictionary defines fascism as the domination of government by corporate power. You and John Stossel, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh have made yourselves the primary spokesman for the domination of corporate power over American government, and that is...

A couple points of clarification here. There's a bit of history between Kennedy & Beck. Earlier this year, Kennedy referred to Beck as "CNN's chief corporate fascism advocate."

The other point is the actual definition of fascism, taken from the American Heritage Dictionary, which Kennedy misquoted:

• Kennedy's version: "the domination of government by corporate power."
• Actual AHD definition: "A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism."

Hmmm, "suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship"? Like calling people who question the human effects on global warming "traitors"? And I'm no political/government expert, but I think that "stringent socioeconomic controls" might keep "corporate power" from dominating the government.