DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL HATE RADIO HAS BEEN?

Thanks to Rush et-al --

I am listening to a debate on the radio re the use of our national guard troops - a vet who served called in and was talking about the lack of services and medical care for the returning wounded, and also the great number of wounded in this war. A freeper called and stated "IT'S WRONG FOR THE RETURNING WOUNDED TO LOOK TO THEIR GOVERNMENT FOR RELIEF ! Just ask the people, they will come together and donate "

This was regarding a discussion regarding rehabilitation services, and such. Can you believe this? The republican mantra of selfishness and me-ism even dehumanizes some kid who gets his leg blow off by a roadside bomb. I have no doubt the people will come together to help our returning vets, but to try to associate someone who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country as a welfare cheat is unbelievable to me.

No wonder these people will take an unscrupulous AWOL draft dodger over a decorated vet. I never cease to be amazed by these people.

What the fuck is in that kool-aid?

I don't know why they continue to surprise me.

That's a relief

purple band-aide for his injury.

has his house wiped out in Hurricane Frances, he'll be screaming for FEMA to help him.

People are always talking now about how we waste money on government programs that help people and that healthcare cannot be a right for all.

I hear Rush-speak in the voices of a lot of people here, and they assume all of it is right because he said so. We can not just give long answers and hope they understand. We need to start with powerful soundbytes, get their attention, and then enlarge on the issues.

is boil a topic down to a simple formula. Take away any grey, it is either black or white.

This time around it's CONSERVATIVE extremist welcoming homecoming veterans with vitriole and hatred.

see welfare cases. They see them as people trying to get something for nothing. That's why the Purple Heart band-aids. They say they're only mocking Kerry but no Democrat would ever pull such a disrespectful stunt. There's no respect or appreciation for Veterans service, none what so ever.

I can't believe they want soldiers to come home and have to BEG for help!! Disgusting. Sickening.
RWers have this big idea that it would be better to abolish government programs, then the people will come together and help those in need but it all boils down to "If you have hard luck, you will have to beg the public and rely on the mercy of the people to survive." And after witnessing the selfishness of the right wing, I'm guessing there won't be a lot of mercy forthcoming. Personally, I'd rather pay my taxes so those who need help can rely on programs and can keep their dignity in the meantime. And soldiers should not even have to think of this as "help." It's their DUE!!! But I must be evil for thinking this way, eh?

No government. Shut down the Federal, state and local governments for good. No more governemnt programs. No more meat inspections, no more Coast Guard, no more Air Traffic Contollers, no more farm subsidies, no more SEC, no more police and fire protection, no more courts. yippee!

And do this the day after I move to France! (Canada is too close to the poverty, violence and anarchy that would quickly envelop this country).

I think it was a planned move by this PNAC bunch long ago. Get rid of the Fairness Doctrine, and then put one, two, three charismatic rabid right wing radio hosts on everyday to constantly beat the drum of hate. Being as that conservative corporatists owned the media, they were able to thus own the message. And now this little plan of their is bearing amazing fruit.

And it is interesting to note that the Fairness Doctrine came about as a reaction to another right wing hate broadcaster, Father Coughlin. Father Coughlin broadcast from 1926-1940. Initially his broadcasts revolved around theology, but shortly they started addressing economic and political concerns. Though he was initially an enthusiastic FDR supporter, be became a bitter foe of FDR, parting ways with over monetary reform measures and other issues of social and political justice.

A hateful anti-semite, Coughlin denounced Jews, blacks, Socialists and other non-WASPs with unflagging energy. He praised Hitler and the Nazis, and was a strong supporter of American Nazi Party in the thirties. His listening audience makes Limbaugh look like a serious slacker. Whereas Limbaugh likes to crow about his twenty million listeners a week, Father Coughlin brought in forty million listeners each and every day, five days a week.

His career was brought to an abrupt halt by the commencement of WWII. The rumors of what was going on in the concentration camps, plus the Nazis' own very public actions prompted the Catholic Church to pull the mike out from under this rabid Nazi supporter, and in 1940 he was shut down and put out to pasture as a parish priest.

The Truman administration, with it's contingent of former FDR supporters, well remembered the damage wrought by this madman on the right, and after the war ended crafted the legislation now known as the Fairness Doctrine in order to insure balance and fairness in public radio and TV broadcasts. This was an anethma to the forces on the far right, for how could you insure victory if the playing field isn't tilted in your favor. Though attempts were made thoughout the years to repeal the Fairness Doctrine, sanity prevailed until the Reagan administration gained power. Led by Newt Gingrich, the Neocons rammed through a bill to bring an end to the Fairness Doctrine, which was signed in 1987. A year later, Rush Limbaugh hit the airwaves.

I believe that this was a planned and concerted action on the part of the Neocons. They saw the damage wrought by the likes of Father Coughlin, and wanted to wield that kind of demagogue power again. Thus, they co-opted the public airwaves and transformed them into a conservatives only soap box that has lasted until this day. And sad to say, it has had an effect. Hate radio helped nearly brought down one president, Clinton, and also helped with the selection of Bush. And it is now working hard to get Bush re-elected in order to complete the radical remaking of America into their facist image.

One of the first things that Kerry needs to do is to push hard for a re-instatement of the Fairness Doctrine. It is more than time we forced these bully boys to stop cheating, and play on a level field. But like bullies everywhere, fairness and honesty is what they fear most, so any such measure will be opposed with all of their might.

it is very interesting to me....

no offense, just couldnt resist the setup

the cap action on this computer is all screwed up, half of the keyboard works, the other half does not, and sometimes not at all. but a new computer is way down the list in this household.......

Why should you ask?

do you? and since this is a democratic board, why don't you post a little about your personal beliefs that brought you here?

greedy, cold-blooded beliefs the "others" have about our troops. We are the only ones who give a rat's ass about these veteran's healthcare, emotional state and basic human needs. Most people forget, no media of wounded soldiers or bodies, that these troops are people with names, families and lives. I am sickened by the self-absorbed who want to send these people to fight but refuse to honor their service with dignity. God help us!


:puke:

loves rush. Anytime he starts complaining about people on welfare. I say yes your right. Why don't you stop taking government subsidies on the crops you grow. It's a government handout.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2271442

A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican

A TvNewsLIES Reader contribution.
By John Gray Cincinnati, Ohio - jgray7@cinci.rr.com - July - 2004

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe¹s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe¹s employer pays these standards because Joe¹s employer doesn¹t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he¹ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn¹t think he should loose his home because of his temporary misfortune.