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

[Nonya]

Oh and one more thing. People who do not agree with anything that Nancy Pelosi and Obama say seem to only use name calling. I really do not see these people make points using facts and logic. Just like this article, you say "Glen Beck's logo is based off of socialist propaganda."

Sickening.

[css]

A bust? Really? The crowd size was only rivaled the one on hand for Obama's swearing in. Perhaps poor facts contribute to your poor sales.

[N]

I doubt the teabaggers noticed this. Heck, they love reciting the Pledge of allegiance, which was also created by a socialist.

[A.L. Hern]

"International Workers of the World?"

I guess Glenn Beck's and the other rabid right-wing "tea partiers" reasoning for adopting the clenched-fist symbol as their own is just a little bit WOBBLY...

[Andrew]

It is difficult not to laugh at the machinations of the Beck buffoons. I watch in awe and horror that our airwaves(Cable) is a venue for idiots of his calibre. It reminds me of a kids show and the host is desperately looking for love and acceptance by mocking other kids who beat him up when he was a kid. I shake my head in disbelief that grown-ups act like this idiot and the rest of his ilk.
May we move on please???

[David Blackburn]

Just another example of how the base of the Republican party is uneducated. It's the reason I left the party - they have no clue!

[David Blackburn]

Here is a link to France's socialist party's logo using the same hand:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Party_(France)

[Rich K]

When you're out of bullets, and up against the wall...throw the gun. Can't you find anything better than to criticize than some poster. Sad when all you can do is call names and point at posters.

[Bill Marvel]

Illustrates again there isn't a whisker's difference between the radical lefties of the 1970s and the extreme righties of today.

[DotComNote]

I still cannot comprehend what are they opposing, besides Barrack Obama. I did not see them when deficits exploded due to the war. If they really want to cut deficit, they should be demanding dismantling of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Excessive Military spending, Human Resource spending like - food stamps, low-income housing. These people are not focused. It seems their rage is due to the loss of election.

[pmse57]

The point of the article, my dear simple conservative friends, was making fun of your Beckster because he recently spent 1/2 a show claiming 70 year old art on buildings was more proof of the present communist conspiracy. Thus, his ignorant use of communist images as the basis for some of tea bag art is futher proof of the ignorance of the whole teabag movement.

[Shiela]

Where were all these fist pumping patriots when our last President was spending this country into bankruptcy with 2 wars, tax cuts for the wealthiest 5%, and medicare Part D? None of these things were paid for. At least the spending going on right now is helping regular working class americans. The unbudgeted spending during the last adm was taxation w/o representation. With the steps President Obama is taking, it is taxation with representation. Big difference. Now if the teagaggers only knew this. Talk about a history lesson.

[JoAnn]

I'm wondering why you haven't covered the ACORN story. I saw a small exerp on CNN about ACORN telling someone how to cover up bringing 13 year old from So America to work as prostitutes. Also who is this Beck person to whom you are giving so much press? Guess I'll just have to listen to what he is all about.

[Mike]

Wow - these comments and this page show just how utterly off-base you all are. You don't have a clue about what makes those of us who are protesting tick. We are not racist - notice that it is only you who make the note that our President is black. We are afraid - this country is mortgaging its future - my children and grandchildren (and I am only 30) are going to be paying for a long time for this nonsense going on. We are tired of the hypocrisy, we are tired of the lies, we are tired of the control that elected officials think they have over us. This march and the 9-12 project are about the people telling Washington that you better start listening - stop doing what you want and listen to your constituents. I find it interesting that international news outlets are the ones that are notating that this was the biggest march on Washington ever... why is there not a US media talking about that?

[Nut Jobinski]

Mark said:
"The depth of ignorance of these nutjobs is unprecedented in contemporary American history. You people are irrelevant and marginalized and the President wont waste his precious time in acknowledging your rants and tirades. I am so glad that he doesn't need the hysterical right-wing's support to implement his policies. It's hilarious to see how frustrated you fools are becoming because her is not paying attention to you. I'm loving it."

Absolutely! Your perception is awesome! Bush lied, people died, puppies cried! Bush did 9/11 not radical terrorists. Blood for oil. Congressional Black Caucus in love with the wonderful humanitarian Fidel Castro who has implemented the finest health care system in the world. Yes, unprecedented.

Well, we will all see just how irrelevant and marginalized all the tea party "nutjobs" are during the next congressional and Presidential elections.

[george]

Its bad enough that this charlatan tells our kids to study...and THEN he tells wall street that they need to stop doing the unethical things that brought it all to a crash. Look Buddylast I checked this is america and I have the freedom to be as stupid or criminal as I want.
On a more serious note it is remarkable how NOT ONE PEEP came out of these people when Bush gave out the first 800 billion....with absolutely zero transparency....not one protest.
And how all the freaks who went out and stockpiled guns before"he takes them away".....which he has not done. The local right wing station KRLA ran ads for a gun show that basically said get down and buy them before you lose the right to own them...
I've always considered myself a centrist...hell I might have even voted for McCain had he picked a serious running mate...but it is clear to me that this paranoic protest crowd has a bit too much spittlefoam around the mouth...talk about clinging to guns and religion. I like obama more now than when he got my vote....
GOBAMA!!!!

[mtnthc]

march of morons continues,...

[Notstupid]

Absolutely hilarious article. Anyone that takes Glen Beck seriously should seek mental help, because Glen Beck is mentally ill. His commentary on how the Rockefeller Center is a tribute to communism because Rockefeller was a big progressive is unbelievable. Rockefeller - the monopolist founder of Standard Oil and his hard core Republican family were actually progressive democrats according to Beck. They sure hid it well. LOL

My only wonder is how far the Mad Hatters Tea Party of the right wing will go. They are in la la land, and are as much dangerous as they are laughable. Their danger to America is their incredible and willful ignorance. Our founding fathers knew that the country would only prosper if enough of its population was educated. Accordingly, every rating point Beck gets is a tolling of the bell of our doom.

[Steph W]

Ahahahaha, I love this; thanks so much for the article! Obviously the little porcine bastard known as Glenn Beck is clueless about graphic design history, and perhaps just history in general, as his idiotic bleatings suggest.

[blip]

Yesterday, I saw a car with three bumper stickers on it:

1. "The Germans voted for Change in 1932."

2. "Is this the 'Change" you voted for?" With a hammer and sickle.

3. And, finally, "Confuse Liberals, Use Facts and Logic."

Any one of these bumper stickers, I might have shrugged and said, "Oh well!"

But all three together was just a trifecta of everything that's wrong with conservatives these days.... They actually believe that Obama is BOTH a Communist AND a Nazi. And, that they have a grasp of facts and logic.

Once people are willing to believe so many ideas that conflict with each other in such a basic ways... their leaders can basically convince them to do or think anything.

It would be laughable, except they also carry around guns.