Nov. 23, 2008
COMMENTARY: Disrespecting the Voters and the System: Un-American
By Joseph J. Honick
Bainbridge Island, WA (HNN) -- Anyone listening these days to the likes of Limbaugh, Savage, O’Reilly and the minor leaguer Sean Hannity would come away thinking the nation is rapidly sinking into socialism. Of course none of these amateur high school economists knows much about what socialism is, but they eagerly shout at high decibels into their microphones that we are verging on that slippery slope.
None of these economic neophytes was anywhere to be heard during the last eight years as America was hurtling toward massive problems. If you had raised your voice against the Bush Administration's handling of the economy and the freewheeling nonsense of the market insensitive auto industry, you might have been branded a socialist yourself.
So just what are we talking about?
According to the chorus of the forces of slime, slander and smear -- see the names above -- the stupid American voters don’t know anywhere near as much as they do. With that assumption, why not look at their qualifications to take these huge stands, as if they themselves might qualify to run the country.
Rush Limbaugh does tell the truth that his is the most listened to talk show in America. No question there. But let's look at the intellect and background he brings to knocking down those with whom he disagrees, in particular the person the American people have elected to the presidency.
Limbaugh, who claims his wisdom is a gift from the Lord, for years was a talker of another kind: a disc jockey traveling around the country and here and there doing some sports commentary, certainly ideal preparation to comment on economic and social theories and proposed Congressional legislation, wouldn’t you say? But, as a talker -- a loud one at that -- he is one of the best at selling and makes tons of money assaulting anyone in his range of opposition.
Then there is a man who goes by the moniker of Michael Savage and presides over something called the “Savage Nation,” ranging far and wide with commentary bereft of much professional experience and evidence to call some child psychologists, for example, mostly gay and otherwise suffering from some dysfunction that offends him and his large coterie of listeners. He is also the big talker who spent endless broadcasts verbally blasting candidate Barack Obama for not using his middle name that has the same sound as some terrorist, as if a name might imply some vastly evil genes.
Of course, Savage also fails to use his own real name which is “Weiner”. Why he does not proudly parade the name of his immigrant parents who had no problem with the name is not for us to figure out, but given his assaults on Obama, it does leave us to wonder. Hypocrisy might enter one’s mind.
A recent Savage broadcast brought out the fact that this Microphone Maven must have been knocked down by something called Affirmative Action, an often controversial array of legislation that sought to equalize competitive situations where alleged racial and other discrimination might have existed. In this Savage might well have had a case though he never commented on the discrimination over generations that caused the passage of Affirmative Action. Had such discrimination not existed, there would have been no excuse for such laws that have in fact often discriminated against white qualified people.
But the most humorous background of Savage (born Weiner) is that he really is an authority and substantial writer on the subject of nutrition, not economics or politics. Of course that should not disqualify him from his Constitutional rights to address any issue the same as you and I. But Savage along with others were among the claque who slammed Obama for lacking experience for the job he sought, carefully avoiding the vast business and political experience held by George W Bush and Dick Cheney and the failed economy they managed to mismanage.
Maybe if Obama had read more books on dieting and health Savage would have been less damning.
In the next expose of the poor uninformed American electorate, we will deal with several other of the forces of character assassination and the sad lives that brought them to this kind of life. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, it is important to note their actions in disrespecting the overwhelming decision of the voters is hardly the expression of Americanism they allegedly support.
* * *
Honick is an international consultant to business and government and writes for many publications, including www.huntingtonnews.net. Look for his blogspot on HNN. Honick can be reached at jhonick@aol.com or phone: 206.842.6666.
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COMMENTARY: Disrespecting the Voters and the System: Un-American
By Joseph J. Honick
Bainbridge Island, WA (HNN) -- Anyone listening these days to the likes of Limbaugh, Savage, O’Reilly and the minor leaguer Sean Hannity would come away thinking the nation is rapidly sinking into socialism. Of course none of these amateur high school economists knows much about what socialism is, but they eagerly shout at high decibels into their microphones that we are verging on that slippery slope.
None of these economic neophytes was anywhere to be heard during the last eight years as America was hurtling toward massive problems. If you had raised your voice against the Bush Administration's handling of the economy and the freewheeling nonsense of the market insensitive auto industry, you might have been branded a socialist yourself.
So just what are we talking about?
According to the chorus of the forces of slime, slander and smear -- see the names above -- the stupid American voters don’t know anywhere near as much as they do. With that assumption, why not look at their qualifications to take these huge stands, as if they themselves might qualify to run the country.
Rush Limbaugh does tell the truth that his is the most listened to talk show in America. No question there. But let's look at the intellect and background he brings to knocking down those with whom he disagrees, in particular the person the American people have elected to the presidency.
Limbaugh, who claims his wisdom is a gift from the Lord, for years was a talker of another kind: a disc jockey traveling around the country and here and there doing some sports commentary, certainly ideal preparation to comment on economic and social theories and proposed Congressional legislation, wouldn’t you say? But, as a talker -- a loud one at that -- he is one of the best at selling and makes tons of money assaulting anyone in his range of opposition.
Then there is a man who goes by the moniker of Michael Savage and presides over something called the “Savage Nation,” ranging far and wide with commentary bereft of much professional experience and evidence to call some child psychologists, for example, mostly gay and otherwise suffering from some dysfunction that offends him and his large coterie of listeners. He is also the big talker who spent endless broadcasts verbally blasting candidate Barack Obama for not using his middle name that has the same sound as some terrorist, as if a name might imply some vastly evil genes.
Of course, Savage also fails to use his own real name which is “Weiner”. Why he does not proudly parade the name of his immigrant parents who had no problem with the name is not for us to figure out, but given his assaults on Obama, it does leave us to wonder. Hypocrisy might enter one’s mind.
A recent Savage broadcast brought out the fact that this Microphone Maven must have been knocked down by something called Affirmative Action, an often controversial array of legislation that sought to equalize competitive situations where alleged racial and other discrimination might have existed. In this Savage might well have had a case though he never commented on the discrimination over generations that caused the passage of Affirmative Action. Had such discrimination not existed, there would have been no excuse for such laws that have in fact often discriminated against white qualified people.
But the most humorous background of Savage (born Weiner) is that he really is an authority and substantial writer on the subject of nutrition, not economics or politics. Of course that should not disqualify him from his Constitutional rights to address any issue the same as you and I. But Savage along with others were among the claque who slammed Obama for lacking experience for the job he sought, carefully avoiding the vast business and political experience held by George W Bush and Dick Cheney and the failed economy they managed to mismanage.
Maybe if Obama had read more books on dieting and health Savage would have been less damning.
In the next expose of the poor uninformed American electorate, we will deal with several other of the forces of character assassination and the sad lives that brought them to this kind of life. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, it is important to note their actions in disrespecting the overwhelming decision of the voters is hardly the expression of Americanism they allegedly support.
* * *
Honick is an international consultant to business and government and writes for many publications, including www.huntingtonnews.net. Look for his blogspot on HNN. Honick can be reached at jhonick@aol.com or phone: 206.842.6666.
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