I recently watched a documentary about the child labor, and child slave labor, which goes into harvesting cocoa plantations for the chocolate industry.  One of the odd side effects of writing these articles is that when I see something I often wonder, "What would Rush Limbaugh think?"

Children being stolen from their families and sold into slave labor is pretty bad.  But I'm not so sure that Rush would agree.  Nor am I certain that he thinks we should do anything to stop it.

For one thing, these child laborers are a straight up manifestation of the Invisible Hand of the Market.  Rush, as a staunch advocator for the free market, would surely note that children are employed because you don't have to pay them.  

The profits from the $80 billion dollar a year industry only barely trickle down to the plantations in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.  Most families are living on the equivalent of $2,000 a year.  If you're earning $166 per month, you aren't going to be able to afford to pay much in the way of employee salaries.  And thus, the unpaid child slave is pressed into service.

This is the purest distilled essence of unrestricted capitalism.  How could Rush Limbaugh help but approve?

As an Ayn Rand fan, Rush believes that 1% of society's "elites" are the ones pulling the wagon, so to speak.  Rush has earned his place at the top, through his own hard work and sacrifice.  (And white male privilege - but shh, forget I said anything.)  

As far as Rush Limbaugh is concerned, he doesn't owe the other 99% of humanity anything.  "Eff 'em," is Rush's feeling on the subject.  After all, this is the primary message behind Rush's favorite book.  The book he recommends to people any chance he gets.

This is another interesting side effect of studying and writing about Rush Limbaugh.  You start to realize that you know what he must believe, but you can never confirm it.  Surely if he were to be interviewed in public, he would have to admit that the child slave labor of the cocoa plantations of the Ivory Coast is a stellar example of the Invisible Hand at work.  And that he is a fan of the Invisible Hand.  He has gone on record many times as saying that the Invisible Hand knows all.  And if it "knows" that children should be sold into slavery in order to provide us with our Snickers bar, then who are we to question it?

This is a pretty repugnant position, but I think it's clear that it is what he believes.  Of course, no one ever asks Rush the tough questions like this.  His callers are screened; his public appearances closely managed.  

I wonder how many listeners Rush would have left, if he spoke openly about some of the darker sides of his beliefs?  I wonder if he would be the "unofficial voice of the GOP" if he admitted in public that he doesn't think consumers owe it to treat the people who produce their food fairly?

I guess I'll just have to keep wondering, though.

Creative Commons-licensed image courtesy of Flickr user damonlynch