Indoctrinated Kids, Oh Noes!

I have been trying for a while now to genuinely figure out what the deal is with right wingers Godwinning themselves with the "Obama = Hitler" comparison.  I have recently come across at least a partial answer: people like Rush Limbaugh keep posting videos of school children singing songs about President Obama.  They then screech about "indoctrination" and "brown shirts" and "brainwashing."  Seriously!  Don't believe me?  See for yourself!

I think this is particularly hilarious given the Right's sanctimonious "well at least support the office, even if you don't support his decisions."  Over and over during the Bush administrations (all three of them) we were exhorted to respect the President, the office of the Presidency, the sanctity of the office.  

We were particularly chided for anti-presidential sentiments in the wake of 9/11, even though it was clear to everyone that Bush was A) completely ineffective, and B) making some terrible decisions, and C) curtailing civil liberties in the name of safety in a way that we knew - even at the time - would not be undone for y ears to come.  (History shows we were dead right on all three points, by the way.)

In point of fact, school children have been "indoctrinated" to sing songs about the president for ages.  Last night Jon Stewart had some great clips of Louisiana school children reciting a poem in praise of George W. Bush immediately after Katrina.  Did Rush object to this?  Doubtful!  In fact, Rush Limbaugh blamed the victims of Katrina for all the bad things that happened to them.  He cracked out a blanket statement blaming "generation after generation of the entitlement mentality."

Anyway, back to the school children.  Rush refers to the children in question as having "skulls full of mush" as they recite a poem in honor of President Obama.  Incidentally, Rush reprints the poem itself, and one will note that the name "Obama" only appears once.  The rest of the poem is about education, hope, racial unity, and making America better.  Does Rush object to these things?  I guess he must, since he called the little kids names.

Rush later says that Obama's proposal to have American children spend more time in school is "just more indoctrination time."  Well I think the problem here is clear: Rush is afraid that the more educated American kids become, the fewer listeners he will have!  

Well, that's not fair.  Independent research by the Pew Research Center found that Rush Limbaugh's listeners are among the best-educated among the sources that they polled, with 36% being college graduates.  (By the way, the "winner" of this particular study was NPR listeners, 40% of whom are college grads.)  

Anyway, out of every effect Rush Limbaugh has on his audience, poisoning them against having kids spend more time at school LEARNING THINGS must surely be the saddest. It's certainly the bit that gives me the least hope for humanity so far.  (By the way, don't miss the caller near the end of the transcript who asks Rush how long we should put up with this indoctrination nonsense "before it comes to the point of us taking up arms and revolutionary" [sic].  Meep!)