"An Attack on Rush is an Attack on America!"

NO. Rush is an attack on America.

When criticizing Rush Limbaugh, I was told by someone that “an attack on Rush is an attack on America." Nothing could be further from the truth. The ideas and policies advanced by Rush Limbaugh and his supporters in the Tea and Republican Parties are lethal to the American way of life. They are policies that would destroy much of the progress this nation has made over the last 100 years. The "Conservative" ideology of Limbaugh would have us roll back the gains of the New Deal and the Great Society. It is a mean, selfish ideology that would have everyone fend for themselves and have an economy and society governed by "Caveat Emptor” - let the buyer beware.

They would eliminate as much government regulation as possible, resulting in many more environmental disasters and many more injuries resulting from lax or absent product and workplace safety regulation. These folks would like to turn our country into a patchwork quilt of states all having their own versions of Civil Rights and regulatory environments. There would be an end to equal protection under the law, for each state would have its own standards of what is acceptable. Limbaugh and the other “Conservative” ideologues are a direct threat to the Middle Class, the poor, small business, and the concept of a fair, just, equitable society. They are a clear and present danger to America as we know it!

The "Conservative" ideology of Limbaugh and his cabal of political swindlers does not support a political belief system that moves us towards love and wisdom. That is Progressive Liberalism - certainly not Conservatism. Liberal may be defined as: Generous, Free, Tolerant, Not Bigoted, Freethinking, and Favoring Progressive Reforms that Improve the Welfare of Humanity. The current “Conservative” ideology is in opposition to these values. There is something fundamentally "off" about belief systems that base their ideological foundations on world views that support public policies and values that are essentially greedy, oppressive, intolerant, bigoted, mind-controlling, and that oppose progressive reforms that improve the conditions of humanity. Such so-called "Conservatism" isn't a philosophy, it is a spiritual illness based upon a lack of love, wisdom, and conscience. Whatever happened to taking care of the least among us? Letting people die from lack of adequate food, shelter, and health care (in the richest country in the world) isn't very compassionate, now is it?

It is as if Limbaugh and his cronies are spouting a political belief system taken out of the world view of Ebenezer Scrooge:

"Portly Gentleman: At this festive time of year, Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time.

Ebenezer: Why? Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?

Portly Gentleman: Many can't go there; and many would rather die.

Ebenezer: If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

Here we have exactly what “Conservative” social policies do - they destroy the lives to the least among us. “Conservatives” have opposed Progressive legislation from time immemorial. The standard and quality of life enjoyed by most of us in the U.S. was not brought about by the good wishes of the Republican Party or the political ideas of Rush Limbaugh! Rather, it has emerged as a result of the concerted efforts of generations of Liberals and Progressives, fighting for Children’s Rights, Women’s Rights, Voting Rights, Worker Rights, Consumer Rights, Equal Rights, Civil Rights, and Environmental Conservation.

Liberals and “Conservatives” have supported different political parties over the years. At the time of Abolition, the Progressives were in the Republican Party. But no more, as is clear from everything they say and do now. Today's “Conservatives” would have opposed Abolition, as the modern Tea Party ideology closely reflects what were positions of the Confederate political world view. Likewise the National Parks system founded by Teddy Roosevelt is something that would be opposed by today's Tea Party. They believe that nature is put here for us to pillage and poison as we wish - why save it? They do not believe that Global Warming is a fact, or that pollution is a serious environmental and public health issue.

Limbaugh and other leaders in the Tea Party are drawing from the hymnbook of the John Birch society - the leader of which called President Eisenhower a Communist! The old Republican Party that had Progressives is long gone. The Republican Party appears to have become a party of "Conservative" extremists and religious zealots. None of the other people in the Republican Party or "Conservative" camp challenge the radical Right Wing views of Limbaugh, so consequently we must assume that they all agree with him. Limbaugh and the New Right call themselves “Conservative” and embrace the traditions of that movement – historically opposing anything which might improve the welfare of society if it costs them anything, for they really don’t want to pay any taxes at all to contribute to the society in which they live. Limbaugh and the "Conservatives" on the New Right have hijacked the Republican Party and are trying to do the same to our country.

“Conservatives” have opposed everything from child labor laws, to occupational health and safety standards, consumer product safety legislation, the weekend, the 40 hour work week, minimum wage, health care reform, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Civil Rights, Equal Rights... the list goes on and on and on.

What have the “Conservatives” done for us lately - other than tax cuts for the rich and a war based on lies to the American public?

It is likely that most “Conservatives” are merely uninformed citizens who hear rhetoric about freedom, promises of tax cuts, and slogans like "don't tread on me," - and such things have great appeal. Many come from family traditions of voting Republican. But the Republican Party has changed over the years. Things like God and Country, the Flag, white picket fences, and a sentimentalized "Father Knows Best" mythology (in white suburbs, of course), are all icons that appeal to many Americans. People who respond to this type of Americana but who are not familiar with American history and the sacrifices whole generations made to improve the living conditions of everyday citizens are manipulated by cynics like Limbaugh and the leaders of the Tea and Republican Parties. Unfortunately many of these economically Middle and Lower Middle Class people wind up suffering from Conservative policies. How many of them would like it if the “Conservatives” actually succeeded in eliminating the Department of Education, Fair Housing laws, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Welfare, and Food Stamps?

Other followers of the Regressive thinking of Rush Limbaugh and the Tea and Republican Parties are those who are intolerant and socially myopic. Some are merely selfish. But some are the kinds of zealots that wind up in social manifestations like terrorist militias, religious Inquisitions, and the kind of folks who are agitating for death penalties for gay people in Uganda. Others are selfish big business fat cats like the Robber Barons of the 19th Century (who will take voting supporters from any ideology), or the industrialists who built their wealth on the backs of men, women, and children who worked 12+ hour days in Dickensian sweatshops or like the plantation owners whose lives, wealth, and society were supported by slave labor. Still others are like the people in the old South who looked the other way regarding slavery and then fought to defend it as an institution while reading their Bibles. Most are not truly mean, but some are – and their leaders like Limbaugh certainly are, as evidenced by their positions on issues!

What many seem to not understand is that the "Culture War" that the "Conservatives” want to inflict on the rest of us is not just some abstraction to be debated theoretically. There are real world consequences to which policies are ultimately brought to govern society. Whether it is the abolition of slavery, women's rights, equal rights, Civil Rights, or Gay rights - the malevolent amongst the "Conservatives" - like Limbaugh - whip their flock up into a lather to resist the uplift of our fellow citizens. They are socially dangerous, and MUST be resisted. It is our patriotic duty as Americans to resist the dismantling of our way of life at the hands of these extremists and religious zealots.

Study your history - those who consider themselves "Conservatives" are often co-opted by the unscrupulous who organize their legions by calling for social stability, flag waving, and preaching about God and Country. People who are poorly educated and selfish or greedy and who like "order" get easily swayed by the truly intolerant. Then the social disruptions begin and real people suffer. This has happened throughout history, in many different countries. We MUST NOT repeat Right Wing experiments with the dismantling of Progressive, civil society in 21st Century America!

Never mind that many of the people who call themselves "Conservatives" are often sorry after the violations of rights, destruction of the society through neglect of the well being of its citizens, and massive economic dislocations from fraud and corruption. Never mind that they often wind up enjoying the benefits of those very things they resisted - like Social Security and Medicare. What the people who support Conservatism seem to miss is that when the "Conservative" political forces win, others die. I am not exaggerating. Without occupational health and safety standards, people die. Without Welfare and Food Stamps, people die. Without industrial regulation, people die. Without product safety regulations, people die. Without Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, people die. Without extending health care coverage to the uninsured, people die. When “Conservative” policies take over running societies, the lives of real people are destroyed. When such forces raise their head they must be resisted - it seems like every generation must face down the forces of greed, bigotry, cruelty, and oppression.

To not attack Rush is a dereliction of duty. To let Rush and his fellow “Conservative” ring leaders get away with advancing his ideology of fear, hate, and bigotry and its regressive social policies is to abandon the American Way and everything generations of Americans have fought and paid for so dearly. We must not be complacent, nor silent, or inactive in strongly repudiating this assault on America and our values! It is our patriotic duty as Americans to resist Rush Limbaugh and the rest of his band of anti-social ideological extremists!

Copyright 2010, B.E. Foley