He was a diesel mechanic and many of his colleagues listened to Limbaugh on their radios. A trucking company garage is a noisy place and occasionally they would turn their radios up. However, when my old man would hear it he would yell "TURN THAT SHIT DOWN FAR ENOUGH WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO HEAR IT!" He told me that on break some of his colleagues would start in about "the damn Democrats...tax and spend...Bill Clinton's ruining the country." He would counter with "The Republicans are just as damn guilty with all their kissing the rich man's asses, so don't start with that!" He died in 2005. I miss him.
I first heard Limbaugh in early 1992. I thought "is this guy for real?" I thought he was some sort of comedian. I read his first book and was horrified that someone actually believed that kind of bullshit. Then his TV show...and I heard people talking, saying this guy was virtually going to "save" America from all the rotten liberals. He's just got worse and worse ever since, and richer and richer off spreading hatred.
I have read many accounts of how much Limbaugh, if you meet him personally away from all his bluster, is purportedly a really nice guy. That tells me (if true) that he knows exactly what he's doing and is manipulating the thoughts of people to his own end...for his own aggrandisement and/or to the end of manipulating national politics toward a one-party Republican state.
Of course, he declaims any responsibility. He says he is "just an entertainer," a commentator "illustrating the absurd by being absurd" and even his favourite "harmless little fuzzball."
Ever since 20 January 1981 the politics of this country have been pushed (not moving, pushed) steadily to the right. It was more gradual until Limbaugh came along. Since then, it's gone so hand over fist that firmly centre-right Democrats like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have been demonised as "Marxists." The Republican Party has become more like the British National Front. The Tea Party is just the John Birch Society with Gadsden flags, tricorn hats and Sarah Palin.
Limbaugh has poisoned political discourse in this country to the point where I have read that singles adverts now include that they will not date members of the "other party." There are online forums where I have received death threats for daring to challenge Limbaugh. I don't take them seriously - keyboard commandos who wouldn't have the guts to say to one's face the kind of BS they say online - but it's an illustration of just how badly this man (and his later clones) has infected the politics and even interpersonal relationships in this country. Even families have been divided on whether or not you're "conservative" or "liberal."
Instead of his aim of "uniting" this country under "traditional Republican values," he has divided us to the point where we are on the brink of a civil war of some kind. Normally I am not that kind of tinfoil-hat alarmist but I have seen it more and more, especially since President Obama was elected (remember "Barack the Magic Negro?"
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His disciples say "you libs must be scared of Rush to pay so much attention to him." I am not scared of Rush. He would not be able to debate any reasonable person, either in person (how often has he done that?) or on his radio show (his screener sees to that). However, the effect he has had on this country scares the hell out of me.
I do not in any way support harming or trying to muzzle Limbaugh. That would just make him a martyr to his followers and confirm their circular argument that "the lamestream media" really, truly is "persecuting" them and only Limbaugh, Fox, Hannity, Levin, etc. are "telling the truth" and "keeping America alive."
However, again at the risk of being alarmist, I think we have come too far to go back. Limbaugh and his infection are here to stay, and the lines have been drawn for a long time.
I just pray that when the other shoe drops, I am not around to see it.
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