December 2009

  • The Four Corners of Deceit

    By erika on 12/28/09 2:26pm
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    I have been waiting with bated breath for Rush to weigh in on the so-called "War on Christmas," but he said nary a peep until the 22nd, and I nearly missed it.

    First of all, let's address the term "War on Christmas."  I understand that when a privileged class is asked to accommodate other groups, the first reaction of privilege is to feel defensive and push back.  It has ever been so, and Rush Limbaugh himself is so larded with entitlement that it seems redundant to point it out.


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  • Rush Doesn't Understand How Insulation Works

    By erika on 12/17/09 5:51pm
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    Rush Limbaugh today took aim at Obama's "Cash for Caulkers" plan, which gives homeowners rebates and other incentives to weatherize their houses.  If you ask Rush, this is apparently the worst thing ever.

    Rush, unsurprisingly, gets the science completely wrong.  And his callers only add to the confusion in a hilarious fashion.  I was reminded of something I read about recently, which is the South Korean phenomenon of "fan death."  In South Korea, there is a persistent superstition that people die if they fall asleep in a room where a fan is running.  Theories on why people die vary, from "the fan sucks all the oxygen away from your face and you suffocate," to "the fan's motor burns up all the air in the room and you suffocate."


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  • Rush Is Fine With Kids Being Strangled

    By erika on 12/15/09 5:49pm
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    Today Rush Limbaugh's Stack of Stuff Quick Hits Page leads off with an article that is titled "Nanny State," about one of the biggest product recalls in consumer history.  Approximately 50 million window blinds are being recalled, because the strings pose a strangulation hazard.

    Rush's reaction?  He sneers.

    24 children have been strangled to death by window cords, a number which Rush pooh-poohs as being minimal.  Like a rounding error.  "So 24 kids have died," he says, "a whole industry needs to have a product recall?"


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  • Rush Limbaugh Hates Gay People (Surprise!)

    By erika on 12/11/09 6:58pm
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    Rush Limbaugh likes to defend himself against charges of homophobia. In fact he frequently trots out homophobia (along with racism and sexism) as examples of things that liberals incorrectly believe about conservatives.  Liberals think all conservatives are homophobic, racist, and sexist, and isn't that terrible of them?  Not to mention hypocritical.

    It is clearly true that Rush Limbaugh is not a homophobe.  He does not fear gay people.  He just hates them, is all.  You can hate something without fearing it.  I for example hate rhubarb, but I can assure you that it does not frighten me.


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  • Rush's Bizarre Flight of Self-Contradictory Fantasy

    By erika on 12/7/09 1:10pm
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    Rush Limbaugh had an interesting (and by interesting I mean "disturbing") flight of fancy on his show recently.  The transcript of this is posted on his site under the title "All Great Statists Target the Elderly."

    This off handed riff starts with one of Rush's favorite hobby horses, that tax cuts are the best way to stimulate the economy and reduce unemployment.  This may well be the case, but it's hard to make it an interesting discussion, as much as Rush tries.  Supply side economics just doesn't bring in the audience the way that a good old fashioned tirade does.


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