Glenn Beck's '9-12' logo based on communist and socialist designs

Ever since Glenn Beck took to the Fox television airwaves recently to offer a bizarre reading of the art commissioned 70 years ago for New York's Rockefeller Center, I've been puzzled by the graphic design element of his 9-12 Project. The logo (pictured) for his affiliated groups' rally in Washington, D.C., this weekend derives from century-old communist, socialist and other left-wing designs.

Those were the motifs he railed against in his Rockefeller rant.

For the logo, three raised and clenched red fists are superimposed over the U.S. Capitol. Obviously the bloody fist represents the tea-baggers' themes of unity and resistance.

But do Beck; the corporate-sponsored astro-turf group, FreedomWorks, headed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas); the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights; the private-property group, the National Assn. of Rural Landowners; and the rest of the march sponsors know the symbol's origins?

Unity and resistance are what the fist represented in 1917, when it was first employed by the Industrial Workers of the World, a union organization founded by socialists. And in the 1940s, when it stood  for various nations' communist party organizations.

That's also what it meant when it was revived in the 1960s, appearing as a symbol for the SDS, as well as anti-war and feminist movements. It was the basis for the black-power salute given by John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. And today, it's the symbol for the Progressive Labor Party (pictured), a political outfit whose website says it "fights to smash capitalism."

Turnout for the 9-12 Project's Saturday march on Washington was a bust; 30,000 protesters signed up in advance (MSNBC reporter David Shuster tweeted that D.C. park police called that figure "generous"). But even if three times that many actually showed up, the number would fall far short of the hundreds of thousands (and even millions) claimed to be planning to attend. Even in that reduced crowd, however, surely someone recognized how odd the right-wing gathering's left-wing logo was.

Maybe Beck will explain. Sort of.

-- Christopher Knight

Credits: 912dc.org; Progressive Labor Party

Comments

[Flea]

You are mistaking irony for conspiracy. It is an easy mistake to make if you voted for Obama.

[Doorgunner]

"Turnout for the 9-12 Project's Saturday march on Washington was a bust..."

Yeah, who you gonna believe? Chris Knight or your own lyin' eyes? Oh, wait he didn't include any photos...

...and, of course, the Left has a copyright on the "clenched fist".

And you forgot to call them racists; not to worry, though, your lefty, beta-male commenters -who don't know how to use a clenched fist- will.

[Bill R.]

Turnout was a bust? There were over a million people there. The MSM is lowballing this. Why are you people lying about this? Are you so in love with Obama that you'll lie for him? To all those who don't believe me, check the facts from other sources. They are out there on the web, just look. USA Today would be a good place to start. And take a look at the pictures. Anyone who has ever been in a large stadium can tell there were a lot more people there than the press is saying. Ask yourself, what reason would they have to lie about it? There you will find your bias.

[walt dukehart]

Whoever wrote this article is living on another planet. What garbage!

[willymack]

Bugs Beck for President-of Pipelineistan.

[bob]

Christopher,

seriously, this is the best you can do to indict Beck? everyone is now dumber for you having written this piece. Perfect example of the libertard mentality of killing the messenger and minimizing democracy when it speaks truth to lefty nonsense.

keep it up, you will lose all relevance to america (and subscribers) soon.

[Anne Loam]

So? The regressives are running scared because their own medicine is used against them? Good. This is only the beginning.

The right has been worrying about defending the country from foreign threats, while allowing marxist radicals to subvert freedom from within. This is why we don't have a tradition in subversive propaganda. But we will take yours, thank you.

[Clint Billman]

I dunno...maybe we're using your own commie symbols to mock you? Do you suppose?

[Roger Snowden]

A clenched fist? Is that it? You want to link Glenn Beck to Communism because he uses the obvious symbol of a clenched fist?

Then, you have the temerity to call us "teabaggers", and suggest we are part of some corporate conspiracy?

Look, if you have logic and reason on your side, surely you would use it. When you resort to personal invective, you demonstrate your own lack of cause.

Besides which, as long as ACORN is not involved, there is a pretty good chance from the outset the group is legitimate.

[MJ]

This is TOO FUNNY! The writer is so incompetent, he doesn't even know that is NOT BECK'S logo! ha ha ha ha...beck's logo is at the912project.com, check it out for yourself.

Classic liberal incompetence and stupidity masquerading as journalism...i'll bet MY comment doesn't get published. I am RLMAO!

[Wichita]

Technically... isn't Pres Obama as much white as he is black? His mother was white and his father was black. So it is racist to just call him black and not acknowledge that he is as much white.

[Scott]

Kay,
In your persnickety asseverations about those ignoramuses at the 9/12 march with misspelled signs, and how they need to learn English, you seem to have forgotten about comma splices (the comma in your first sentence is a comma splice), you seem to have forgotten how to capitalize the first word of a new sentence, you seem to have forgotten that the word "English" is capitalized too, and you seem to have forgotten that the very word "misspelled" has two esses, not one (you spell it "mispelled," which is incorrect--check the dictionary). Finally, when you begin a sentence with the words "aren't these the folks," you really should have a question mark at the end rather than a period.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

[Maria Never Forget]

Well, done! Mr. Knight, thanks for reminding us of the real significance and symbolism of why Michelle and Barrack greet each other with a FIST-BUMP!

[Pablo]

Again, Beck had nothing to do with that logo. That's a 912dc.org product. Beck's 9-12 project has it's own logo, based on a Benjamin Franklin drawing. Beck had nothing to do with organizing the DC march.

This would be a great piece if it weren't completely and utterly wrong! Better luck next time. Maybe you should like look at the websites of the people and groups you're referring to.

[Sara Reid]

Official Capitol Police Report placed number at 1.7 MILLION....not exactly a bust.

[John]

I see the irony is lost on you. The look and feel of the logos are designed to evoke fear of socialism and communism.

[John Washington]

Christopher Knight = Kool-Aid drinking air head

[MoeJoe]

Wow, I don't know why I'm so surprised by this, but you are totally an Obama-shill and just like the MSM. Congratulations, you should consider yourself one of the big boys.

Libiots are so incredibly hateful and I think it's because they are just generally p.o.'d about their lives. Bless your hearts, you must all be miserable.

[mal]

As I've long suspected Gelnn Beck is a hidden left wing agent. Perhaps even working for the anti-christ who as we all know will soon come!

[Niko Tine]

If fists are liberal-only logos as you claim, should we start calling liberals "fisters"?