Libertarian Party Online
Original story: http://www.lp.org/press/archive.php?function=view&record=652



America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.

"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.

"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."

The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.

As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?

"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."

Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:

Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?

Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"

Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?

Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?

Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?

The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.

"That alone should completely discredit them."

But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.

"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.

"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."



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Simple logic would lead us to conclude that the drug war argument has been demolished because the glaring hypocrisy and contradiction of Rush.

Life ain't so simple or logical. Silence, in this case, is consent. Drug abuse cases are like a Roarschack blot, subject to many interpretations, few logical.

A few twists and turns of logic, and we can see Rush as the victim of his supplier. We can see him as an addict deserving compassion. We can apply some tut-tuts and some tsk-tsks and say let's let him have privacy. He can worm out of this, and unless people make noise, that's exactly what will happen.

Besides, the media's focal point here is still Rush, not the drug war. Rush is down and out, but another get-tough-on-drugs yahoo is waiting in the wings, for sure.

Right thinking people should call for Rush's conviction, and then let the get-tough crowd accuse us of hypocrisy. Our hypocrisy is that we've suddenly lost our logic and compassion, and gained a blood lust. Theirs is that they demand retribution, but are never prepared to pay it when they're the ones caught red handed.

Their criticism only demands that we regain consistency, by becoming bleeding hearts again. Our criticism demands that they either take the punishement, or learn to become bleeding hearts.

That's the kind of logic I like.

Most of the right wing nutzo's haven't been posting on this story because they are bashing working men and women on other stories(the grocery strike). Because they are totally embarrassed and hope this story kind of goes away , like most unpleasant things the right wing nutzo's have no hypocritical answer for. The Drug War is an utter failure. But as with most failure from the cheap labor conservatives they just keep spending more and more taxpayer money , desparately hoping, that it will come out alright. The above libertarian is absolutely correct. Tough to reply to that.

Nothing to be embarrassed about, there's just nothing here worth reading. There's a world of difference between someone getting hooked on pain medication initially prescribed by a doctor because they continue to be in pain and someone who wants to snort cocaine or shoot heroin for kicks. If you don't see that, I don't really care.

I think the the "he was prescribed them initially" line of Bull Shit is just another Fig Leaf that the Hypocrite Right is clutching at so that they will not have to draw an honest conclusion:

1. Rush is a Junkie.

2. What he did is the very same illegal act he has excoriated others for.

3. As a NeoCon Bulwark he was been one of the major Water Boys for the the NeoCon Agenda. With him discredited as a Drug Soaked Junkie it throws a cloud of disreputability over Rush's other pronouncements, and this is key, among his former supporters and followers. They can't allow that as it might then cause people to wake up and start thinking these policies through to their illogical conclusion. It takes away Rush's position as an Opinion Leader and Authority. His actions have damaged them greatly. They will fight tooth and nail to keep him from being prosecuted, as he should be under Florida Law, as that would be the final nail. He might continue to blather on but with much less weight (no pun intended):

"Live from Cell Block Number 9: It's Open Line Friday!"

Just doesn't have the same ring does it?

The Excellence in Block Casting Network?

Your talk is foolishness and another reason why our movement is constantly getting nowhere.

People will distinguish between addiction to meds prescribed by a doctor and junkies and view them differently.

Those who follow Rush will continue to listen because he addreess the issues that concern them.

Please take your incoherent blather to some other movement. Those of us who are active in the struggle need fewer fucking asshole deadweights like you keeping us down.

Now we are getting the real skinny on it. There are different kinds of drug addicts. Is that the EXCUSE TRAIN I hear coming down the track. Ohhh now I get it. If you are a rich white guy,then because it is a "prescription drug", that is not so bad. If it is something you can grow in your back yard then you are junky scum. Even though you may be smoking it to relieve your self of the pain of living in the age of the Bush Crime Family.More of their covert class warfare.
And now the cheap labor conservatives are telling us what kind of pain is legitimate or not. More hogwash. Their is NO FUCKING DIFFERENCE. A doper is a doper. Period.

Of course typically, you couldn't be expected to tell the difference. You left-wingers/anarchists are extremely close-minded.

That Republicans are lead by mindless crackheads and criminals like everyone else.
There is no class but the human class, we all have the same type of DNA. No one is better than anyone else, and Republicans certainly have no higher moral standing than the rest of us.
By the way, regarding the difference, many drug users (I would venture even to say most) have serious illnesses they self medicate because they do not have healthcare like Rush the Tush. No argument can be made that excuses his junkieness any more than anyone else.

Well, that's your problem right there.

You look at the American government and see leaders.

I look at the American government and see representatives.

There's a huge difference. Leaders tell you what they're going to do.

Representatives ask you what they should do.

Hmmm...your outlook certainly explains a lot, doesn't it?

If you see leaders, you want to be led.

Not me; I want the gov't to reflect what I want.

That's what a Republic is all about.

Not everybody wants to live in a Fascist Roman Republic like you swoon over.

"Not everybody wants to live in a Fascist Roman Republic like you swoon over."

Moronic.

Interesting.

Tell me, exactly what is your definition of fascism, and why does it apply to America?

Here is the definition of fascism. From Benito Mussolini, I guess that would qualify as someone who knows what he is talking about,"Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism
as it is a merge of state and corporate power." Sounds pretty much like america to me. And more importantly sounds that way to quite a few others.

Benito Mussolini also said the trains ran on time. They didn't.

Benito Mussolini said a lot of things for the sake of his own propaghanda. Because he said it makes it even that more likely that it's a lie.

Fascism must have a dictator, must have government nationalizing all industry or otherwise exerting control over it, must be a war machine wishing to conquer its neighbors and create one state, and must kill Jews.

The USA has elected representatives, we don't have government controling corporations (If anything, you idiots complain it's the other way around), we are not invading our neighbors, and we don't put Jews in concentration camps and kill them. Therefore, not fascism.

Either come up with another name or continue to misrepresent what true fascism is. Either way, I don't really care. Critize what I said. Try and skirt around it. Make shit up like you normally do. Whatever you do, just provide entertainment for us. It's why we allow you stay here.

Clear Channel/Premier have come up with a Strategy to remind us of what a great pontificator Slush is while he is away on Vacation to the Detox Clinic: They are running snippets of "Golden Oldies" from the great Maha Slushie, with talent on loan from Merck, himself. The strategy appears to be to try and hold onto the Audience while "Rush is away" sweating it out. I guess the theory is that the Dittoheads are stupid enough to buy rehashed Rush long enough to dry Rush out and shove a Microphone back up his "hand".

They may not be too wrong - after all that great Philosopher P.T. Barnum once stated that "there is a dittohead born every minute and a Rush to take him every 5".

Of course they haven't solved the problem of his massive hypocracy or the credibility that has cost. Nor have they solved the problem of how to spin things so that they can keep Rush's advertisers long enough to recoup the 300 Million they shelled out for his "services".

And I think that Rush's guilty conscience may again drive him into a drug soaked escape. It may be done with a prescription but he knows what he has been doing is really quite vile. Spiritual pain of a conscience in agony will seek a solution - even if it is only dulling his senses to the pain. I would not want to be him.

The message by bemush is more self hypnosis by the right wing wackadoo's. If you want to talk about propaganda just look at the Bush Crime Administration.

And yes we have a war machine,although it is not invading our neighbors is still invading many other countries.

Elected reprensatives? Hey idiot Bush was APPOINTED president by the Supreme Court!(read "Betrayal of America" by Vincent Bugliosi,who successfully prosecuted Charles Manson, for a little more insight into the appointing of the president)

And no, the us war machine is not killing jews, but they are doing quite a number on the Arabs, aren't they. All you need is to demonize an ethnic group,fool.

And don't forget the concentration camp...oops forgot about the right wing propaganda..deTAINment camp at Guantanamo. Or maybe that's just a stop on the Carnival Cruise lines , chump.

And do you have any idea what is in the Patriot Act and how it shreds our civil liberties. I'm sure Ol' Benito would give it a thumbs up.

Now go back to your scratch and sniff Rash Lowbrow poster and take another whiff of wackadoo conservatism.

Excellent EV!! Blantant lies. Seething anger. Conspiracy theories. You covered almost all the bases. I haven't seen something this delutional in quite a while. I was beginning to get worried about you whackos, but you always come through.

Thank You, krankyman. You are currently in first place for the EV Grand Prize for this week. Your closest rival is Hex anon w/ encryption who is currently under the impression that Israel will disslove by this weekend, so he could pull ahead. But, for this lastest production of what can only be described as pure mindless, mean-spirited, hate-filled drivel, you occupy the #1 spot.

Congratulations! And good luck.

Heroin was, in the days before heavily regulated prescriptions, a painkiller invented by Bayer (the aspirin company). Many middle class women got addicted to it. It was recommended as a cough remedy for kids.

LSD and MDMA were both prescription drugs. Speed used to be diet pills. Cocaine was an anesthetic and a stimulant.

Currently, people are using Dextromethorphan and Ephedrine, both avalable over the counter, as recreational drugs.

Meanwhile, people abuse alcohol, and it's encouraged by the alcohol business. ($1 beers and $2 well drinks!) Intoxication is culturally approved behavior.

The difference between getting addicted to a prescription drug and getting addicted to street drugs isn't very different.

While I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of your post, I will point out that LSD was never available with a prescription. It went from utterly legal and unregulated straight to, I believe, Schedule one.

Drugs are drugs are drugs. The means of acquiring them is all that differs.

You could buy Opiated "Cough Syrup" out of the Sears and Roebuck Catalog.

Opiated Teething Syrups were used on Babies Teething Pains (also rubbing Whiskey on the Gums - still used).

My major amusement is that Lush Rimbaugh and company are again exposed as the hypocrites they are. I don't wish misfortune on anyone - even Lush.

However, I am still laughing guiltily about it.