Rush Limbaugh Lies
Again. This time, by twisting a news story into a divisive message about how Americans don't support the troops during his trip to Afghanistan.
Most entertainers visit Iraq to send the message to our men and women in uniform that Americans are united in their support for them. Not Rush. Rush Limbaugh has been making clear on his show that, on his trip to Afghanistan, he lied in order to mislead our troops into thinking that many Americans don’t support them.
Basically, Limbaugh framed a story about how medical advances were saving the lives of wounded soldiers more often than had been possible in previous wars, and in a despicable fashion, framed it as news that people are upset because they are actually hoping for more battlefield fatalities.
Mentioned this in Kandahar; you could have heard a pin drop. They did not know this story. I repeated the story to them about this Reuters dispatch that we got that found problems with the news that battlefield fatalities were down and lower per capita than ever before in the history of American warfare. Battlefield fatalities are down. And, I said, “Folks, this news was presented as a problem. We couldn’t figure why in the world is the fact that battlefield fatalities are at an all-time low a problem. Why are some people upset? And, we finally figured out that they are actually hoping for more battlefield fatalities because that will help them gin up anti-war support from their mirroring number of supporters in this country.”I said, “That is going on back home."
If you read the article, it's clear this is another slimy Limbaugh tactic to distort the truth and launch ad hominem assaults on those in the anti-war camp.
The Reuters story in question, “U.S. Medical Advances May Mask Wars’ Human Cost,” cited a study by Harvard’s Atul Gawande and pointed out that medical advances were saving the lives of wounded soldiers more often than had been possible in previous wars--clearly a good thing. However, the article noted, this meant that simply looking at the number of deaths would give a deceptive impression about the scope of the war.
Comments
Of course our medical technology is more superior than even 5 years ago-DUH! Of course there are more injured than dead-DUH! Of course there are more casualties than the Revolutionary War-DUH! Vietnam's first 8 years? That's because there was very little action between 1954-1962-Dead Stat, thank you very much.
So why the story? Why is this news? Who reads this shit and actually is surprised at the news? Who really wasn't aware that there were more casualties than deaths; wasn't aware that medical advances didn't force routine amputations common in the Civil War; wasn't aware that the violent atmosphere continued to create casulaties of war.
That should be the big question, Naum. Nothing in that article was substantive, or revealing, except of course, to the "intellects" who rely only on "academic research and results."
Rush did what all ideologues do--streeeeeetchhhhh the interpretation of the article. Liberals are quite good at that as well. The true intent of the article was to fill in empty paper space by some idiot researcher who had nothing better to do.
And by the way, what's with the partisan hackjob .gifs at the bottom of the story-ad hominem assaults, perhaps?
As far as the partisanship of the story link, well, the original story was published in December 2004, and has pretty much spiraled down the memory hole and the only instances I could find of the text were (a) the cited Al Franken weblog and (b) that pdf document, that perhaps, I should not have linked to.
And to play opposition advocate to your "why is this news", frequently in my own travails, I am presented with arguments on how the Afghanistan and illegal/immoral Iraq invasion really are insignificant in casualty counts. But as another who argued, a few days prior to my discovering this tidbit, that "casualty counts" obsfucate the the reality that there are a lot of disabled and maimed servicemen returning home, and that any acknowledgement of "casualty counts" might figure those numbers in too.
I am thankful for advances in medical technology and body armor that make death less a probability in battle outcomes. But losing two or three limbs is still a tragic fate.
**Exclusive**
HBO is set to air a behind the scenes look at the launching of liberal radio network AIR AMERICA.
The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained a director's cut of LEFT OF THE DIAL, a grossly entertaining docu-drama of life on the other side of the AIR AMERICA microphone.
The doubts. The lies. The bounced checks. The heartbreak.
The viewer is taken upclose to witness the ugly business of media ambition.
The main character, Evan Cohen, founding chairman and main investor, is depicted as a complete fraud.
The documentary shows Cohen arriving in the middle of night at AIR AMERICA offices to sign over the company and disappear again, but not before lying about how many ads have been sold and how much money is the bank [zero].
Dead Air.
It shows how AIR AMERICA executives lied and lied again about not bouncing checks to their Chicago and Los Angeles affiliate owners. [The network was quickly thrown off the stations.]
The film captures AIR AMERICA staff first learning about the Chicago and LA nightmare by reading a DRUDGE REPORT exclusive on their computers.
It shows midday host Al Franken at a staff meeting being told there is no money left, hilariously, just moments after ranting about George Bush's ethics.
The HBO crew is told to shut down their cameras -- but they don't -- and the 'We're Broke!' meeting is filmed raw.
LEFT OF THE DIAL shows an angry meeting of the writing staff being told how money was deducted from their checks to pay for health care -- but the money was never paid to the HMO and they were never covered!
Host Janeane Garofalo looks suicidal in nearly ever scene which she appears.
"What am I going to do, just ramble on and on," panics stand-up-comic-morning-drive-host Marc Maron, as he deals with the reality of becoming a talkshow host.
But every drama must have a hero: Enter Randi Rhodes.
Highlight. The camera captures pm drive Rhodes in her classic PMS mood, but this time at home, in her newly rented NYC apartment.
Wearing a leopard-spotted robe, bra-less, smoking and crying "I'm so f*ckign lost," the relocated Floridian steals the show.
Talking to herself in the bedroom mirror, Rhodes whispers "You can do this."
She bemoans throughout how she is not being featured in any AIR AMERICA press. "No CNN. No USATODAY. No YAHOO wire story." How she is the only one hired at AIR AMERICA that's even been on radio before.
When she attempts to introduce herself to director Michael Moore [rushing out of a Franken Radio interview], Rhodes quickly realizes he does not even know who she is.
The heartbreaking scene is easily a frontrunner for this year's EMMYs.
The HBO film is set for air March 31.
Developing...
It is interesting to see a left wing ideologue questioning the honesty of a right wing ideologue! Let's face it, you both will see things as you want to support your view. This is called being human. You may dispute that Rush is, in fact, human, but that would go along with your single minded hatred for all who dare to disagree with you. You have every right to whine and cry because you are such a victim of Rush's "lies" but you might want to channel your efforts in a more productive way.
This doesn't mean Miss South Carolina did stumble through the question. She might not be the sharpest tool in the shed. But Rush is simply showing his mean-spirited ignorance yet again.
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