Right-wing talk show host Glenn Beck drew condemnation after he compared the recent crackdown by social media platforms on President Donald Trump, the far-right and conspiracy theorists to the ghettoization of Jews in Nazi Germany.
“You can’t have freedom of speech if you can’t … express yourself in a meaningful place,” Beck said in an interview Tuesday on Tucker Carlson’s widely watched Fox News show, claiming it was “absolutely un-American” if carried out by people on the left or the right.
“This is like the Germans with the Jews behind the wall. They would put them in the ghetto. Well, this is the digital ghetto.” Beck continued. “You can talk all you want. Jews, you do whatever you want behind the wall.”
“Well, that’s not meaningful. And that’s where we are,” he charged. “That’s where millions of Americans will be.”
Beck, the founder of right-wing digital media company The Blaze, claimed it was “not to compare it to the Germans,” despite doing exactly that. “It is not to do anything but warn if you don’t stand up for free speech, you will be the one that loses it as well,” he added.
Check out Beck’s comments here:
Mulitple major technology platforms — including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube — have either banned Trump or taken steps to prohibit him from using their services following his incitement of the riot at the U.S. Capitol last week.
Supporters of the president who promote conspiracy theories or encourage violence have also been booted from the sites. Some initially responded by migrating to the right-wing social network Parler, which Amazon has now stopped hosting due to its incendiary content.
The American Jewish Committee condemned Beck’s comments.
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) January 13, 2021The constant weaponization of history's darkest chapter is deeply offensive and an affront to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
There's no comparison between big tech companies enforcing their community standards and the Holocaust. None.
Apologize, @GlennBeck. https://t.co/VuptXFoXKr
“The constant weaponization of history’s darkest chapter is deeply offensive and an affront to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust,” it tweeted.
“There’s no comparison between big tech companies enforcing their community standards and the Holocaust. None,” the AJC added, demanding that Beck apologize.
Others shared their disgust at Beck’s analogy, calling it “incredibly” and “utterly” offensive:
— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) January 13, 2021Reality from an ACTUAL ghetto during the Holocaust:
- 25 people living in a 1 bedroom apartment with a loaf of bread to eat for a WEEK
- Parents murdered, leaving 12 year olds to raise 2 year olds
- Suicide all aroundGlenn Beck’s digital ghetto:
- not being able to tweet https://t.co/Qm6mQiGCPn
Glenn Beck suggests that social media companies limiting access to their platforms for people organizing armed insurrection to overturn court-recognized elections is akin to Jews being placed in the (Warsaw) ghetto early in the Holocaust is some grimmer episode of #DrunkHistory. https://t.co/22CMvFvzTm
— Eric Pape (@ericpape) January 13, 2021
Remember when Glenn Beck was sane for like 4 minutes?
— David Franco (@Lamescrnm) January 13, 2021
— James Sanders (@jas_np) January 13, 2021Glenn Beck is trending again, for terrible reasons (it's Glenn Beck, it's always terrible reasons).
What I want to know is: if Beck and Glenn Beck are in the same room, do they cancel each other out?
— Nectere (@tnectere) January 13, 2021This is so incredibly offensive I have no words.
Glenn Beck can kick rocks. No funding for you!
@glennbeck comparing social media bans to the Holocaust and Japanese Internment Camps. Horrible and ridiculous comparison. As far as I know, social media hasn’t murdered millions of people in concentration camps... https://t.co/jKGx482s6n
— Manny Alicandro (@Manny_Alicandro) January 13, 2021
How utterly offensive.
— RedBugg 🐞 (@redbugg) January 13, 2021
I find this comment so hurtful and wrong and offensive, but else would we expect from a POS like Glenn Beck? https://t.co/9ECSs5dIQk
— Maxwell Haddad (@cinemaxwell) January 13, 2021
Something very 2009 about a Glenn-Beck-makes-offensive-Nazi-comparison controversy.
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) January 13, 2021
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