Amardeep,

I wish Rajan Zed would keep quiet. How did he become a Hindu leader? Hindus are used to living their life across watertight compartments one at a time. There's a time for each thing, one thing at a time, and not all things always. Zed is a cheerless man who would have us live the same boring life all the time. Let's face it, the Ganga is dirty, OK corrected, FILTHY in Kashi. Every acharya, every year exhorts Hindus (by which term I include everyone who lives on its banks, as Farid Mian who took us across Hardwar alss calls it Ganga Maiyya) that they should finish their business every morning before they come to the Ganga. There's a prof at BHU (who is also a purohit at KAshi Vishwanath Mandir) who tirelessly campaigns to clean the river. The great Raj Kapoor went so far as to say, Ram Teri Ganga Maili Glenn Beck may have wanted to put down India and Indians rather than have us question ourselves. I would like to go live on his show and talk to him about the Ganga. As beautiful as it is to watch the aarti at Hardwar (everyone must do it once before they die) or wander around the filthy and culturally intensive lanes of Kashi as they give way to the incredible campus of BHU, it is a fact that the Ganga is dirty and we can't seem to do anything about it.

I wish Rajan Zed would keep quiet. How did he become a Hindu leader?

Lessons on comprehension for some of you?

beck did not say "It sounds like a disease" BECAUSE the river is filthy.
By hearing someone say "Ganges, the river that sounds like a disease", how did you glean that the sentence was said because he KNOWS that the river is filthy.
He is simply and ignorantly/arrogantly commenting on the WORD "GANGES" and not on its characteristic (which by the way he does not mention anywhere in his rhetoric).

The fact that the river is filthy is your contribution to his sentence and so you decide that what he said is perfectly acceptable. You give him too much credit folks.

Anonymous captured it perfectly. It was an insult that Beck added to his argument about health care. He could care less about the condition of the Ganges. And his "apology" was probably forced by upper management. It amazes me that there are so many who are quick to defend those who love to continually slam India out of their ignorance and high mindedness -- just like they defend Slumdog Millionaire. Sure it emphasized the poverty, but at what expense? Continued stereotyping and exploitation of India by those who either could care less or can now feel better about how "blessed" and "fortunate" they are compared to other places in this world.

It amazes me that there are so many who are quick to defend those who love to continually slam India out of their ignorance and high mindedness -- just like they defend Slumdog Millionaire.

Mr. Apple, meet Mr. Orange.

@Anonymous and KXB

Thanks for keeping "us" in check. I'm tend to get turned off by the the tangents and opportunities people take to jump on soapboxes in the comment sections.

I*

Jyotsana, what does "filth" (failed in London--try Hong Kong) have to do with anything?

And his "apology" was probably forced by upper management.

I am appalled at this kind of insult to the journalistic integrity of Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. The idea that he would put anybody on the air who would say anything repellent is unimaginable.

I am appalled at this kind of insult to the journalistic integrity of Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. The idea that he would put anybody on the air who would say anything repellent is unimaginable.

In contrast to the non-repellent rhetoric emanating from the very site you link.

It will be quite the day when Media Matters for America is considered equivalent to Newscorp in reach and influence :) But I don't why the Republicans should consider the comparison an affront. Well, maybe one day, Media Matters for America will hopefully garner at least as much respect as the weekly standard.

Well, if somebody said I was feeling acute Missouri, I'd recommend them a load of Prozac. Which, of course, this nation runs on.

But I don't why the Republicans should consider the comparison an affront.

Becuase everyone know we like to model ourselves after Democrats, not the Taliban.

Becuase everyone know we like to model ourselves after Democrats, not the Taliban.

Well, I thought that was a better comparison than the comparison of the death panels to the holocaust. Since the former were completely a figment of Republican imagination, I have to assume these people are holocaust deniers then.

I have to assume these people are holocaust deniers then.

There is at least one holocaust we'd deny.

Manju, when it comes to moonbattery and a poor sense of humour and irony the GOPers are hard to beat.

Becuase everyone know we like to model ourselves after Democrats, not the Taliban.

Really? I was under the impression that Republicans thought their struggle with their arch enemies, the Dems, was like those of the Iranian freedom fighters?

holocaust we'd deny.

Between holocaust denials and these denials, the Repubs better start wearing open necked shirts and dark suits without ties.

Really? I was under the impression that Republicans thought their struggle with their arch enemies, the Dems, was like those of the Iranian freedom fighters?

Well, the Huffington Post has convinced us to liken our struggle to that of Elin Nordegren.*

*Had to link to Jack and Jill instead, sinve HuffPo erased the article (like Stalin would do)

Between holocaust denials and these denials, the Repubs better start wearing open necked shirts and dark suits without ties.

We got the open neck shirts going, but since we don't get our lovers cushy government jobs, we'll have to skimp on the dark suits.

but since we don't get our lovers cushy government jobs

Only leverage government influence for your lovers' husbands, I presume?

Only leverage government influence for your lovers' husbands, I presume?

At least they're old enough to be married.

At least they're old enough to be married.

Really? That's where we are going now?

Anyways, this has been fun, but I've gotta go now. Here's hoping to more responsible journalism from Beck, Ailes and Murdoch.

We got the open neck shirts going, but since we don't get our lovers cushy government jobs, we'll have to skimp on the dark suits.

Sure beats living on C Street and influencing passage of genocidal legislation in Uganda. Oh there's that matter about a visit to Argentina, but thenlet's not go there.

Meanwhile, Hindus have filed a formal complaint with the FCC against the Fox News remarks regarding India’s Ganges river (considered holy by Hindus), which Hindus found denigrating and ridiculing.

Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening, in this complaint, reportedly said that these remarks had denigrated Hinduism and ridiculed the Hindu community, urging action against Fox News and its parent, News Corp.

WTF!?! boycott, publicize and argue against. but last i checked one can denigrate and ridicule an ethnic group or religion all you want in the united states. it's called freedom of speech. assimilate.

There's an old Tamil proverb: Ya chee! Per-la inna keedhu? Koovathukku per maathinaa gabbu adikkaadhaa inna? Adhu pola, Beck-kku apology maathhinaalum avan porampokku budhdhi maaraadhu.

Which translates roughly to: a rose's name and its smell are orthogonal, just as Beck's non-apology is unrelated to his fundamental nature.

Sepia mutiny joins in the leftist witch hunt of Glenn Beck. If Olbermann or a democrat had made these comments it would have been ignored.

If Olbermann or a democrat had made these comments it would have been ignored.

Ok, they are dickheads, but they're culturally sensitive, polite ones.

madison and yoga fire, ur both wrong. dems made such comments--biden/711, clinton/gandhi-gas station, obama/d-punjab--and sepia mutiny covered it.

If Olbermann or a democrat had made these comments it would have been ignored.

Which translates roughly to: a rose's name and its smell are orthogonal, just as Beck's non-apology is unrelated to his fundamental nature.

In other words, Ella pettayum onnu ille. Saidapetta na amaidhi, Krishnampettena samdhi

dems made such comments--biden/711, clinton/gandhi-gas station, obama/d-punjab--and sepia mutiny covered it.

dems made such comments--biden/711, clinton/gandhi-gas station, obama/d-punjab--and sepia mutiny covered it.

what is it abt comments like this being interpreted in a larger framework of behavior, actions and rhetoric that escapes the wide eyed innocent, manju. assuming she is not being disingenuous with her comments on this thread.

what is it abt comments like this being interpreted in a larger framework of behavior, actions and rhetoric that escapes the wide eyed innocent

You want me to consider context? OK. D-Punjab was made in the context of a presidential primary campaign. Like Reagan's "welfare queen" it was intentionally racially incendiary, as the underlying issue (outsourcing/protectionism in this case, welfare in Reagan's) itself overlaps with bigotry (protectionism being a major xenophobic impulse) which is not to say positions on this are fundamentally racist, like say the dems historical positions on jim crow.

problematizing the issue further is the fact that obama doesn't even believe his own protectionist rhetoric (goolsbee affair) so its clear he was damaging the issue in order to win hillary's "hardworking white Americans" vote in ohio and pa in particular. good for him for apologizing, though he should've jacked up mark warner at his own convention after he gratuitously took aim at Bangalore, india during his speach.

damaging the issue

sorry for the commenturbation, but i meant to say "demagoging the issue"

manju confuses protectionism with colorism and racism, especially against minorities in the u.s.and like a republican apologist, brings up dem opposition to jim crow without acknowledging that that dem rump has been empraced by the republicans for the last 5 decades pexactly on this issue. naivete or disingenuity?

manju confuses protectionism with colorism and racism, especially against minorities in the u.s.

i only confused it in the sense that dems confuse welfare-reform with racism, which is not to say there no overlap.

like a republican apologist

didn't you just see me whacking reagan?

brings up dem opposition to jim crow without acknowledging that that dem rump has been empraced by the republicans for the last 5 decades pexactly on this issue

democratic revisionism. the repubs never made attempts to reinstate jim crow laws and never allowed for lynching like jfk and fdr did. the idea that somehow the parties switched on this issue is an attempt to play down the great evil dems commited for about a century, an evil deeply intertwined with economic intervention, and i'm here to make sure you never forget it..

Wow. I'm really, really tried of the dem/repub fight on this thread because it's really not about that. Anyone and everyone should feel that beck's comments were out of line and derogatory regardless of where you are on the political spectrum just as there are likely liberal comments that could be considered offensive as well.

I'm with fish oil (@ 6)-- I'm about ready to jump sepia ship if people don't stay on freakin topic or engage in thoughtful, meaningful, respectful discussion.

The Republican party is demonstrably more racist than the Democrats. That doesn't mean that any D should ever be given a pass if he or she makes a genuinely racist comment, though. It only means that they are far less likely to actually do that.

Obama caught hell for the D-Punjab affair. As well he should have. Biden's recent comment was less than harmless, but the one he made commending Obama for being so "clean" back in Jan. 2007 is another matter. But even that was at least intended as a compliment! Beck's statement was insulting and intentionally so. AND Beck is a major tool and a complete idiot.

Olbermann is a gasbag of cosmic proportions. I think more than any other single human being he personifies the complete worthlessness of the mainstream media in America, precisely because he is taken so seriously as some sort of thoughtful political commentator. Olbermann's meteoric rise to stardom occurred not so long after Dan Rather, Bill Moyers, Bob Edwards and Phil Donahue were all shitcanned for not toeing the line. His appeal to knee-jerk liberals is purely emotional, and he is completely safe as far as the powers that be are concerned. He's like Chris Matthews minus the journalistic skills and integrity (sic).

I'm about ready to jump sepia ship if people don't stay on freakin topic or engage in thoughtful, meaningful, respectful discussion

why jump? we can give you a plank.

Olbermann is not nearly in the same league as Beck... no way in hell! Olbermann is over the top and sensationalistic, but Glenn Beck is an entirely new phenomenon. He's to network news what Palin is to presidential politics.

I'm about ready to jump sepia ship if people

Zed is a cheerless man who would have us live the same boring life all the time. Let's face it, the Ganga is dirty, OK corrected, FILTHY in Kashi.

Beck wasn't giving out environmental pointers when he made that comment. And at least Hindus have have someone to speak up for them in Zed. He may not be ivy league slick but at least he's giving it a shot. Much more than that gasbag Deepak Chopra who's afraid to call himself a Hindu.

A group called the Forum For Hindu Awakening, has also apparently filed a complaint against Beck

This is so pathetic, complaining against Beck for telling the truth about India!

Where are the hindu groups complaining that their holy rivers have been turned into disease-producing open drains????????

43 · what hindu "awakening"? on December 19, 2009 11:59 PM · Direct link

A group called the Forum For Hindu Awakening, has also apparently filed a complaint against Beck

This is so pathetic, complaining against Beck for telling the truth about India!

Where are the hindu groups complaining that their holy rivers have been turned into disease-producing open drains????????

Am I reading the same article as you are?
He wasn't commenting on the condition of the river, he was mocking its name.
Please note I am not Hindu, the river is not holy to me, but I don't think it's okay to mock it's name due to its religious significance. It would be similar to saying that Jerusalem (sounds kinda like "slum" no?) sounds like a thickly populated and polluted part town (Correct me if anyone disagrees (it's late at night)).

Please refer to comment #3. :)

I am afraid the site has become an open sewer for anti-GOP comments. Lets tone it down a little bit.

Olbermann is not nearly in the same league as Beck... no way in hell! Olbermann is over the top and sensationalistic, but Glenn Beck is an entirely new phenomenon. He's to network news what Palin is to presidential politics.

You are clearly not a woman. Olbermann is a misogynist par excellence, especially if you are working for the other side (as his numerable attacks on Malkin and Palin demonstrate). Palin is a star. She may not be ready for the Presidency in 2012 but she is a charismatic politician, just like Obama was in 2006.

dems made such comments--biden/711, clinton/gandhi-gas station, obama/d-punjab--and sepia mutiny covered it.

Aside from the (D) Punjab one, none of those was especially racist or disrespectful to anyone with a sense of humor.