Challenging Rush's Ideological Insurgency
By Bob Patterson
Created Jul 8 2008 - 2:15pm
The fact that three separate news items can be combined to form a
discouraging example of irony seems to be slipping by unnoticed.
The three tidbits of information are:
-- Rush Limbaugh has landed a $400 million paycheck to continue his radio
program
-- Nicholas D. Kristof, on the Op-ed page in the New York Times, on July
6,
2008, wrote: "Today, we need a similar Truth Commission, with subpoena
power, to investigate the abuses in the aftermath of 9/11."
-- The Smirking Chimp web site is conducting one of its recurring fund
raising drives
After examining each of these items, a suggestion for linking them
together
to form an example of unappreciated irony will be supplied.
Rush Limbaugh emphatically and dramatically informs his audience
repeatedly
that they will get a source for "the truth" by listening to conservative
radio programs and political commentary, especially his. It is a sentiment
echoed by other practitioners on the "conservative talk radio" path to
fame
and great wealth.
Fortunately for "el Rushbo," his audience seems willing to ignore the fact
that they have been deceived by: the search for WMD's rational for going
to
war, Osama's miraculous escape when cornered in the Tora Bora mountains,
the
"bad apples" explanation of the torture at Abu Ghraib prison, and the
embarrassing fact that, after unrelenting condemnation of the film
"Fahrenheit 911," the allegation that the Iraq war was motivated by
oil-greed has been endorsed by respected journalist Bill Moyers. He
reached
that conclusion because of recent agreements that benefit the oil
companies
that used to operate in Iraq before Saddam seized power.
Could it possibly be that the "no spin zone" belies it's name and would be
more appropriately represented if it called itself "The Sting Zone" to
proclaim its credibility level?
At a time when polls indicate that a Democrat will win the White House and
quite likely gain a large majority in the House and Senate, the fact that
it
seems worth while to pay Rush 38 million a year to continue his partisan
punditry seems incredible. That breaks down to about three quarters of a
million dollars a week, $150,00 a day or about $50,000 for each hour.
An hour of Rush's vacation pay would fund a vast amount of the money
necessary to present an opposing point of view.
Rush blithely informs his listeners that blogs with a point of view that
is
leftist receive cash subsidies from George Soros and that makes
fundraising
during hard times, even more challenging. Why would he promote an idea
that
isn't true? When it comes to the fairness doctrine he and the other
conservative talk radio hosts loudly invoke a need for debate on the
issues
and "freedom of speech" yet he seems to contradict himself by sabotaging
the
fundraising efforts of the opposing point of view.
Isn't such a contradiction a piece of cir***stantial evidence which
enforces
Kristof's contention that a Truth Commission is needed?
If the conservative talk shows serve up heaping amounts of "Truth," why is
there a need for a "Truth Commission"? How did the country get repeatedly
fooled during the Bush Administration if the conservative talk shows were
fulfilling their stated mission?
If such contradictions exists and the mainstream media is reluctant to
point
them out, how are people going to learn "the truth"?
During the Bush era, Rush and other conservative talk show hosts, loudly
proclaimed that it was every citizen's duty to give George W. Bush
unquestioned allegiance. Doesn't it seem very likely that if Senator Obama
is elected President, Rush and his clones will suddenly revert to
providing
a non-stop stream of words that constitute verbal sabotage via ridicule,
disparagement, and disruption, of the Obama program? (Much as they did
during Bill Clinton term in office.)
When a Republican is in the White House, opposition to the President's
program is labeled treasonous behavior. When a Democrat is in the White
House, Rush feels free to operate as if he were conducting an ideological
insurgency for patriotic reasons. In Senator Obams is elected President,
how
long would Rush be able to restrain himself from switching back to the
opinion that impeachment is a desired political maneuver? Who will be
available to challenge his treachery?
The price of oil is where Osama wanted it to be at this point in History.
George W. Bush promised to get Osama and the conservative talk radio was
wildly enthusiastic about wasting resources by starting a war in Iraq. Is
Osama laughing?
Didn't some members of the Bush family own stock in Harkin Energy? Are
they
profiting from the increases in the price of oil? Does Vice-President
Cheney
have stock in the company where he used to work? (Yeah, blind trust,
deferred profits, whatever. No matter how, isn't he making money on a war
he
helped start?) Rush has job security for the time period that equals the
next two Presidential terms in office. Do you?
If Senator Obama wins the November election, Limbaugh's new contract
proves
that the conservative efforts won't be over. It will be more like being in
the stands for an old fa****oned doubleheader.
Do any readers seriously think that those folks will surreptitiously
donate
to the Smirking Chimp fund raising drive to help promote dialogue and
freedom of speech? If they don't; where will the money to sustain the
effort
come from?
According to a recent article in the New York Times magazine section,
Rush's
favorite car is one that cost $450,000. Do you really think he cares about
the cost of gas or establi****ng a Truth Commission?
Do you? Do you care enough to "put your money where your mouth is."? If
so,
click on the link provided. Times are tough and if you can not afford to
donate, why not forward the URL for this column to 10 people who might be
able to act as your proxy and help out? Thank you.
John D. Rockefeller said: "God gave me my money. I believe that the power
to
make money is a gift from God."
Now, the disk jockey will play Daddy Yankee's recent hit song "Gasolina"
and
we will roar out of here. Have a "laughing all the way to the bank" type
week.
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues.
I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an op****tunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are
at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
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