the becks will be with us always

this is, I suppose, why I keep reading a book like porterhouse blue even after I've seemingly given up on it. here's a passage from nearly 40 years ago that serves to remind us that someone like glenn beck has always been with us:

"cornelius carrington spent the morning in his room organizing his thoughts. it was one of his characteristics as a spokesman for his times that he seldom knew what to think about any particular issue. on the other hand he had an unerring instinct about what not to think. it was for instance unthinkable to approve of capital punishment, of government policy, or of apartheid. there were always beyond the pale and on a par with stalin, hitler and the moors murderers. it was in the middle ground that he found most difficulty. comprehensive schools were terrible but then so was the eleven-plus. grammar schools were splendid but he despised their products. the unemployed were shiftless unless they were redundant. miners were splendid fellows until they went on strike, and the north of england was the heart of britain to be avoided at all costs. finally ireland and ulster. cornelius carrington's mind boggled when he tried to find an opinion on the topic. and since his existence depended upon his capacity to appear to hold inflexible opinions on nearly every topic under the sun without at the same time offending more than half his audience at once, he spent his life in a state of irresolute commitment."