It truly is wonderful when someone who has a huge radio audience helps enrich the quality of our debate in this country.
We just had Stephen Breyer saying, oh, yeah, totally appropriate, we must import what they’re doing around the world in other democracies, it will help buttress their attempt to establish the rule of law, and we might learn something, too. Well, here’s something I’d like to import. I’d like to import the ability that the Brits are doing to export and deport a bunch of hate-rhetoric filled mullahs and imams that are stoking anti-American sentiment. Wouldn’t it be great if anybody who speaks out against this country, to kick them out of the country? Anybody that threatens this country, kick ’em out. We’d get rid of Michael Moore, we’d get rid of half the Democratic Party if we would just import that law. That would be fabulous. The Supreme Court ought to look into this. Absolutely brilliant idea out there.
–Rush Limbaugh (as reported by Media Matters)
Yes, Rush, one party government without that bothersome interplay of different ideas, perspectives, and respect for citizens rights to (even harshly) criticize the government would be a lot easier and satisfying (for you) but we might have to make a few minor changes in our constitution — like throwing it out — to do it.
But you can dream, can’t you?
PS: We know (we think) that some of this is tongue-in-cheek. We just continue to be amazed at his whole culture of political RAGE. You see it in comments on blogs (a reader emailed asking why people name call so much in comments), you see it in emails, you see it on cable tv shows and you hear it on talk radio. Somewhere along the line it was considered to be a negative to be a bit detatched and thoughtful when discussing issues. Somewhere our culture decided that using verbal atomic bombs became viewed as being intelligent. Somewhere our political culture took a wrong turn..And Rush ain’t helping it get back on track.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.