One of the things I find most amusing about hippies is that they tend to be hopelessly unaware of the degree to which their anti-establishment views are instilled and fostered by corporate America, and how much these companies profit from them.

However, the tea-baggers have taken this delusion to a whole new level. It seems that Glenn Beck has A Plan which he will be explaining in a new book which will go on sale next year. In order to publicize the book, he will be staging a march on Washington, and I’m sure a lot of his fans will “do their civic duty” by showing up.

Putting Red/Blue politics aside for a moment, this is an astounding example of the near perfect annexation of political dissent. It almost seems like satire. Going to a protest has become no more significant than going to a Miley Cyrus concert.

When you look back in history at the various causes that have resulted in large protests, you can’t help but be struck by the sacrifices, the sufferings and the vision of the people behind them. I think this has been true whether the issue found its support on the right or the left.

So it seems that political dissent has been reduced to a PR event. It’s like equating Miley and Mozart because we call them both “musicians”.

Oh yes, and if this little stunt was not offensive enough in the abstract, Beck has scheduled his book release march for August 28, 2010 at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial — the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

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