The Scum of the Earth

[WilliamPitt]

Audio version of this essay can be found here: http://www.truthout.org/the-scum-earth56138



(Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: ChuckHolton, roberthuffstutter, PhillipC)

The Scum of the Earth
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

Sunday 17 January 2010

Like the swallows returning to Capistrano, GOP luminaries Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh have once again waded into a catastrophic tragedy with all the care and concern of hammerhead sharks unleashed into a fish tank full of orphans. For those not yet in the know, the dynamic global response in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti was accompanied by comments from Robertson and Limbaugh that would be unutterably sickening if they were not so completely predictable. To wit:

"I have been to Haiti way, way back a long time ago when it was a cruise ship stop, Port Au Prince, and I've seen pictures of Haiti. It is a devastatingly poor place. Nothing has ever changed, and right across the mountain ridge in the middle you've got the Dominican Republic, which is like night and day. It's like night and day. What is the one common factor. That place, Haiti, has been run by dictators and communists. How long is it going to be, how long is it going to be, before we hear Obama and the Left in this country say that what we really need to do is reinstate the communist Aristide to the leadership position down there, to coordinate putting the country back together. The Haitian economy is entirely dependent on foreign aid. They produce nothing, zilch, zero, nada, and it's been that way for the longest time."

- Rush Limbaugh

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God."

- Pat Robertson

It is well-nigh impossible to decipher what Limbaugh spewed on Haiti. It is perfect gibberish: he's seen pictures, the place is poor, Aristide is a communist, and the country produces nothing (except Disney merchandise, a fact Rush left off). Coherent? Hardly. Hateful? You tell me. Robertson, however, managed to fully outstrip Limbaugh on the verbal dementia scale by alleging a Haitian pact with Satan is the reason for the earthquake, despite the fact that Haiti is 85 percent Catholic.

It would be easy enough to roll our eyes and dismiss the latest budget of verbal nonsense from these two with an oh-here-we-go-again shrug. After all, we've all been here before.

"I tell people, don't kill all the liberals. Leave enough so we can have two on every campus - living fossils - so we will never forget what these people stood for."

- Rush Limbaugh, Denver Post, December 20, 1995

"I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you. This is not a message of hate; this is a message of redemption. But a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It'll bring about terrorist bombs; it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor."

- Pat Robertson, speaking of organizers putting rainbow flags up around Orlando to support sexual diversity, Washington Post, June 10, 1998

"Homosexuals want to come into churches and disrupt church services and throw blood all around and try to give people AIDS and spit in the face of ministers."

- Pat Robertson, The 700 Club, January 18, 1995

Both men have been roundly criticized for their comments. Limbaugh, not content to stand pat on the aces-high hand of stupidity he dealt himself, responded by pushing the envelope even further. " has refused to apologize for his comments," reported ABC News on Friday. "On Thursday, he blasted a female caller. 'I did not say do not send donations to Haiti,' Limbaugh said, implying he was misinterpreted. He said the caller was a 'closed-minded bigot.' 'If you had listened to this program for a modicum of time, you would know it,' he said. 'But instead, you're a blockhead. Your mind is totally closed. You have tampons in your ears.'"

Yeah, we could dismiss all this as more bad noise from a couple of idjits whose verbal diarrhea is undeserving of attention. Most of the time, I would agree, but this ... this is different. The senses and sensibilities of the American public have been bombarded for days with images of horror that beggar comparison. Bodies in the streets, arms and legs sticking out from twisted rubble, screaming children, dazed men and women wandering the streets of a city that looks as if it was dropped from space and smashed against the ground.

And here come these two "respected" men, one a spokesman for a segment of a major political party and the other a "man of God" who preaches to millions of followers; here they come to foul the air even as it reeks of blood and desperation.

It is not the first time for these two, either. The last two disasters to befall the United States - the attacks of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina - were followed like pilot fish by the same sort of wretched hate and racism from these same two men.

It is a free country, and the likes of Limbaugh and Robertson have every right to say what they think into as big a microphone as they can find. But we are as free as they are to drive them from the airwaves with pressure on the stations that broadcast them and the sponsors who support them. Let us flex that freedom and drive these two gargoyles from the body politic. They are the scum of the earth, and there is no merit in allowing their inclusion in the national conversation to continue.

They are free to say it. We are free to shout them down. The time has come.

http://www.truthout.org/the-scum-earth56138

[Hepburn]

1. If there is a hell....

....Rush and Robertson belong on the Gold Charter flight to that place.

Thanks for posting this article...KNR.

[Heidi]

2. Listening now.

Slow down when you read your column, Will. Slow down and let this evil you're repeating sink in. It loses much of its impact when you read so quickly. You feel strongly about this horseshit, as do many of us. Slow down. Let it sink in. (Please?)

Recommended.

[WilliamPitt]

3. Noted

Always been a problem for me.

Thank you. :hug:

[bullimiami]

4. I dont know if Robertson is insane, evil or both. But Limbaugh is a LIAR and snake oil salesman.

There existence is proof that no god is shepherding us.

[Heidi]

8. I empathize with those suffering from genuine mental illness/insanity.

These two are just willfully ignorant, intentionally mean and obviously destructive. The Jesus I was raised to respect shares not a single value with Robertson and Limbaugh. If we're to judge a tree by its fruit...well, it's very sad for the many Christians who do a great deal of good work without spewing hate in the process. This strange Robertson/Limbaugh fruit ain't doin' the tree much good, in my opinion, and the disease this fruit bears tends to be contagious. If I were the tree, I'd ditch this rotten fruit like the plague.

[Gregorian]

5. The only positive thing I can say is, they are teaching god new levels in patience.

I suppose I can also add that they are revealing the face of evil for all to see.

You know, I think I've done something good here! It's my birthday. I feel good. It's a community of great people like this one that provides for that good feeling. To face ugliness and feel good is not an easy achievement.

[Scurrilous]

6. K & R

:thumbsup:

[spanone]

7. no ordinary scum. stealing people's money using god's name.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Get Rush off Armed Forces Radio

Limbaugh, as well as the other hate-ranters. There have to be some conservatives in this country who aren't sick and twisted.

These divisive anti-American "patriots" do not deserve a publicly paid-for pulpit, especially not to preach their gospel of moral flatus to the troops.

--d!

[MadMaddie]

16. What do we have to do to make it so?

[graywarrior]

10. Self righteous scum; the most dangeruos kind of slime.

[lutherj]

11. Large scale catastrophes of this sort always elicit moralistic accusations

from religious nuts like Pat Robertson, because these events make their disneyland god appear so glaringly impotent and absurd. The only way for Robertson to save face is to blame the victims. Similarly with that snake-oil huckster Limbaugh, he has to distort history and fabricate an interpretation that will distract from any discussion of reality. Again it's blame the victims. Both hucksters are grasping at straws in order to inoculate their followers against the obvious. They choose to close their eyes. They will not see because they don't want to feel.

[tavalon]

17. Actually, they're both sociopaths, so they don't feel

They will not see because it serves them not to.

[WhiteTara]

12. Rush went there to poke little boys

but found the DR was more conducive because it was less in the public eye.

[sce56]

21. You beat me to that one!

It was after all the Dominican Republic that OxyRush was busted coming back from with Viagra. Pedophile sex tours anyone!


Jeff Christie, KQV, Pittsburgh, 1974 AKA Rush Limbaugh
A little google search turns up this gem
http://www.heff.info/gNuke/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1541
http://tinyurl.com/ydjsgxy
http://opovet.blogspot.com/2009/03/rush-limbaugh-gay-not-that-theres.html
Not that I'm coming down on Gay people just Pedophiles and Hypocrites!

http://www.heff.info/gNuke/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1541
I received a fascinating email in my internets today, and I wanted to share it with the readers of Jottings. I have enough details from the source to believe the writer's claims are legit, but read on and judge the veracity yourself.

The following entry comes from a posting on a private political discussion board. I have redacted names where necessary to protect the privacy of the people involved.

Now, being from the bootheel of Missouri, Rush is a local story as well as a national one, so it's no surprise that it took a local to come forward with a little dirt to dish on Rushbo.

I apologize in advance for the sleazy, tabloid, gossip mongering I am about to inflict upon you.

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:41 pm
Post subject: My dislike of Rush Limbaugh is personal

I admit. It's personal. OK?

I used to know him. I know that he's a gay pedophile, pervert, drug addict, welfare cheat, elitist hypocrite. I know all of these things for a fact. This is not second-hand opinion that was spoon-fed to me. This is stuff I have seen with my own eyes.

For some reason, I have a personal dislike for pedophile, pervert, drug addict, welfare cheat, elitist hypocrites. Gosh, I have no idea why. If you are more tolerant than me, and are willing to overlook Rusty's issues and still believe in him as a moral icon with talent on loan from God, more power to you. Not me.

I know some of you know... but I used to know Rusty. Not well. But I met him maybe 6 or 7 times. I was in a wedding with him. I went to a couple of parties with him. My good friend (REDACTED), with whom I am still friends, was Rusty's good friend in KC during the rock bottom years in his life.

I first met Rush Hudson Limbaugh III, son of a judge and grandson of an ambassador when he was calling himself "Jeff Christie" and working KC radio. He was a drunk and a doper who lived on my buddy (REDACTED)'s basement sofa, and lived off of welfare and food stamps. He had been dumped by his first wife Roxy. (REDACTED) claimed they never had sex in the entire time they were married. She was hot looking, but dumb as a stump. As a sheltered suburban teenager, I had never seen gay porn magazines before I saw (REDACTED) clean them out from under the sofa where Rusty slept.

He was "between opportunities" -- meaning he had been canned by KUDL for drinking on the air and insulting an African-American caller who wanted to make a request. He made some racial slur or another. I don't recall specifically. He was good at those. The "N" word was a well-worn part of his vocabulary. He worked very briefly for KFIX and KMBZ before (REDACTED) (who owned an ad agency that worked with the Royals) helped him get an interview with the PR department of the KC Royals.

That's about when (REDACTED) and (REDACTED) got married. (REDACTED) was (REDACTED)'s Dance instructor at Arthur Murray Dance studio. They're still married, 30 years later. I was an usher and Rusty was best man.

It was back when Rusty (as his mommy called him whenever he phoned home to beg for money) was still struggling with his addiction and his sexuality. He liked boys more than girls, (and little boys more than big ones) but hated himself for it, and kept "marrying" girls that he then didn't have sex with -- who would then leave him. Michelle was the second of these "wives" he met when he was with the Royals. She was nuts. She would go whacko on his ass at work. (REDACTED) said her behavior was a contributing factor to the Royals canning him.

So (REDACTED) bailed him out again by introducing him to Norm Woodruff -- a business associate of (REDACTED)'s from Sacramento, CA. Norm was a flamboyant flamer who LOVED teenage boys. But he was a good Republican and knew the radio biz. Norm's go-to guy, Morton Downey, Jr had just taken a gig with NBC and Norm needed a replacement on his new "talk radio" format station. When the Reagan administration shitcanned the "fairness doctrine", Norm told Rusty to "go nuts". He did. When Norm was diagnosed with AIDS, Rush left and took the gig with the ABC affiliate in New York, and EIB was born.

He met his third "wife", Marta over the internet (on a Compuserve couples board) in 1992 -- when almost nobody was yet on the internet. They were together for a few years before she kicked him out for being an angry drunk, drug addict, closet queen and digging kiddie porn.

(REDACTED) still talks to him occasionally, but has never approved of Rusty's lifestyle and self-destructive behavior. Still, along with George Brett, (REDACTED) is one of the people Rusty always calls when he's in KC.

Bottom line -- he's a walking contradiction. A self-loathing closet case who used to "play radio" for fun. He would just say things to get a rise out of people. But he has begun to take his on schtick seriously, and use it to try and influence elections and destroy decent people. There are a lot of people who know what and who he really is. Most of them fear him, or fear his influence over their jobs, so they stay mum. But, now that he's started trying to destroy other powerful people, it's just a matter of time until he's exposed.

[WhiteTara]

24. OMG

they poked little crippled boys? That is beyond sick!

[underpants]

13. Only a tired oaf like Rush thinks a cruise ship stop constitutes a visit to anywhere

I've been in the Dallas airport but that doesn't mean I have visited Dallas

[The Wizard]

14. They're both jerkoffs

And both could benefit from a public horse whipping. And I'm not being hyperbolic.
In the name of bigotry and hatred, they've both stolen far too much from the weak minded.

[winyanstaz]

15. We need an up-to-date list of Rush's sponsors.

And we need to get Pat looked at by some mental health professionals a.s.a.p.

[WilliamPitt]

18. .

[caraher]

19. They certainly deserve nothing but scorn

Concerning Robertson... "alleging a Haitian pact with Satan is the reason for the earthquake, despite the fact that Haiti is 85 percent Catholic."

For many fundamentalists, Catholicism is not Christianity. So Pat might well take that as further proof that Haitians are in league with Satan.

[benld74]

20. Me, Mookie and the other Mookies of the (PSA) Phylum Scum of America,,,

wish to lodge protest! Imediatfactorialy!
We no like be compare to Gas_Bag and Not Holy Man ever again!
We no do nothin to deserve dis
Oh yah, we mess up pool water sum time but dat it
Dem too numnuts scare us to
Meh have 3rd cousin who loss life because Gas-BAg fart in whirly pool in Dominican
We dun now
buh bye

[Hannah Bell]

22. That's so funny. Haiti was the cash cow of City Bank investors 1910-1947;

they owned its Treasury & Mint, for chrissakes, & American "investors" owned everything else of value on the island.

It's been a wholly owned colony of the US ever since, as witness by the fact that the US sets up & overthrows its "governments" at will.

[sce56]

23. I have to go along withn what Roger Ebert said Rush should be Horse Whipped!

A Letter to Rush Limbaugh

/ / / January 14, 2010
To: Rush Limbaugh
From: Roger Ebert

You should be horse-whipped for the insult you have paid to the highest office of our nation.

Having followed President Obama's suggestion and donated money to the Red Cross for relief in Haiti, I was offended to hear you suggest the President might be a thief capable of stealing money intended for the earthquake victims
See the whole rant here
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/OPINION/100119985

[WilliamPitt]

25. .

[suede1]

26. I really wish this would end both of their careers. In a sane world it would.

[Initech]

27. Those two are single-handedly responsible for slowing the progress of humanity.

Fuck both limpballs and Robertson, fucking scum of the earth.

[Terra Alta]

28. people like Robertson are why I no longer, and never will again

identify myself as a "Christian". I identify myself as a "Christ Follower"... I follow Christ's teachings about helping the poor and loving your neighbor, and I reject religion. It was religious bigots like Pat who had Christ crucified...and would be among the first to do so again if Christ were to return.

[Vidar]

29. K&R.

[WilliamPitt]

30. Monday kick

[lapislzi]

31. That's insulting to good and decent scum.

Apologize at once.

[StreetKnowledge]

32. Limbaugh and Robertson are ignorant pigs.

They are the walking, talking embodiment of everything wrong with modern America - arrogant, hateful, insensitive, inconsiderate, truthless, heartless and mean towards everybody not like them. They are a cancer which needs to be removed from our public discourse.

[Jakes Progress]

33. One might question whether there is a god, but

it is easy to see the devil in all his forms.

[muriel_volestrangler]

34. To emphasise the 'Earth' bit: the UK adds Nick Griffin to the category

Claims by BNP leader Nick Griffin that the UK winter will cause as many deaths as the Haiti earthquake have been condemned by the leader of Labour MEPs.
...
Mr Griffin's original postings, on Facebook and Twitter, said: "While the Haiti earthquake is terrible, the winter death toll in Britain will be similar. No aid here though."
...
"Boys get blown to bits because we can't afford to armour their Land Rovers.... Sending aid to rioting ingrates while our own people die is stinking elite hypocrisy."

Asked about Mr Griffin's comments, BNP deputy leader Simon Darby criticised the government's £6m contribution to the aid effort in Haiti.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8462717.stm

In fact, you can add the whole of the racist BNP to the category. It's vile to think that racist idiots in England voted this piece of shit into the European Parliament.

Thanks to Jeneral2885 for pointing out what this wanker had said.

[Leo 9]

35. How come no one holds protest rallies at these right wing radio stations?

It would seem to me to be the obvious rallying place, rather than at some government building.

Go for the source, I say.