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Is rush limbaugh serious?

does rush limbaugh believes in what he says?

  • yes

    Votes: 19 73.1%
  • no

    Votes: 6 23.1%
  • not sure

    Votes: 1 3.8%

  • Total voters
    26
In what world do you live in? Do you think Michael Jackson's Invincible sold 10 million records because of the fine lyrical and production values? Sorry. In showbiz. The more controversial and big freak show you are. The more you get risk and get paid.

I would say Jackson is not a good example because his fan based was not derived from FreakShowSupaStarz. His Thriller album changed American pop music on levels people are still trying to comprehend.
 
In what world do you live in? Do you think Michael Jackson's Invincible sold 10 million records because of the fine lyrical and production values? Sorry. In showbiz. The more controversial and big freak show you are. The more you get risk and get paid.

Looking back at my old post, I think that's likely the one thing I disagree with.

I think he would likely garner more constant listeners if slightly less controversial...I think he'd gain more than he'd lose. I don't necessarily think now though that he'd make more money being less controversial, becuase I think its his hyper controversial nature which spurs media attention, political attention, and the spikes in listernership at times which helps make him a household name and thus good to sponsor.
 
Looking back at my old post, I think that's likely the one thing I disagree with.

I think he would likely garner more constant listeners if slightly less controversial...I think he'd gain more than he'd lose. I don't necessarily think now though that he'd make more money being less controversial, becuase I think its his hyper controversial nature which spurs media attention, political attention, and the spikes in listernership at times which helps make him a household name and thus good to sponsor.

Talk radio is a political farce for an audience that generally pretends to care about the world around them, thus if the controversy is removed so are the ad $$$$. Limbaugh being exposed as a hypocrite and drug addict didn't hurt him...what does that say? He got caught coming back from the DR, known for child prostitution, with a bag full of Viagra...didn't hurt him.
 
I know this may shock and amaze some people, and I know there'll be people screaming "Its hypocritical" and maybe it will be...

But being addicted to perscription pain killers you started taking for pain is viewed differently in the mind of the vast majority of Americans than dropping acid or snorting coke.
 
I know this may shock and amaze some people, and I know there'll be people screaming "Its hypocritical" and maybe it will be...

But being addicted to perscription pain killers you started taking for pain is viewed differently in the mind of the vast majority of Americans than dropping acid or snorting coke.

the issue isn't how things are viewed in the minds of the vast majority.

your argument is an appeal to popularity.

hypocrisy is hypocrisy. period.

"Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country ... and we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs ... and so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."
 
While I'm sure he believes a lot of what he says, the majority of what he does on his radio show is all about money and ratings and his overblown extremism, name-calling, etc. is simply to line his pockets with the cash of the conservative audience who has bought into his line of baloney.
 
the issue isn't how things are viewed in the minds of the vast majority.

your argument is an appeal to popularity.

hypocrisy is hypocrisy. period.


Hypocrisy is hypocrisy. Not arguing against that. What I'm stating though is that hypocrisy doesn't necessarily impact sales or popularity. Whether its hypocritical that (it seems to me) a majority of people view addictions to perscription drugs less serious than addiction to coke doesn't change the potential fact that they do. And because it seems they do, Rush's listenership likely is hurt far less that he's was a "drug addict" to pain killers rarther than a "drug addict" to blow.

You can say its a hypocritical view by the american public, and I'd agree, but it doesn't change the business affects of it.
 
Hypocrisy is hypocrisy. Not arguing against that. What I'm stating though is that hypocrisy doesn't necessarily impact sales or popularity. Whether its hypocritical that (it seems to me) a majority of people view addictions to perscription drugs less serious than addiction to coke doesn't change the potential fact that they do. And because it seems they do, Rush's listenership likely is hurt far less that he's was a "drug addict" to pain killers rarther than a "drug addict" to blow.

You can say its a hypocritical view by the american public, and I'd agree, but it doesn't change the business affects of it.

Those people typically feel sympatheitc to the guy who's addicted to painkillers while they demonize the blow addict. They don't take into account the fact that in the end, it's all teh same thing. OxyContin is an opiate, just like Herion is. They don't say things like "Rush was an Opiate addict, just like a herion Junky is."

It's hypocritical, but the reason for their sympathy is they don't realize that prescription drug addiction is no different from non-prescription drug addiction. Abuse is abuse.
 
I know this may shock and amaze some people, and I know there'll be people screaming "Its hypocritical" and maybe it will be...

But being addicted to perscription pain killers you started taking for pain is viewed differently in the mind of the vast majority of Americans than dropping acid or snorting coke.

Rush being exposed is what helped create that perception and it's a class-based breath of hypocrisy. It's akin to the myth that most alcoholics are homeless freaks sucking on dirty mops.
 
I don't doubt that Limbaugh believes what he claims to believe (for the most part). I'm sure he truly is conservative and truly does have doubts about Obama. However, the outrageous WAY in which he often expresses himself is done for the purpose of making money IMO. The same goes for Ann Coulter, Michael Moore, or Arianna Huffington.

He says himself that he's an entertainer trying to be entertaining and that he does go to the absurd to make a point.

But that's not what the OP had in mind -- he asked if Limbaugh actually believes what he says. I think, agree with him or not, it's clear that he does.

Huffington is just a whore, plain and simple. Moore and Coulter may be outrageous and offensive, but they stick to a consistent side.
 
The OP is a moot question anyways because it doesn't matter if Rush holds personal convictions about his xenophobia, bigotry, racism, sexism, islamaphobia, and anti-Americanism. We know plenty of his fans hold those views. That is the hurdle we have to get over.
 
Those people typically feel sympatheitc to the guy who's addicted to painkillers while they demonize the blow addict. They don't take into account the fact that in the end, it's all teh same thing. OxyContin is an opiate, just like Herion is. They don't say things like "Rush was an Opiate addict, just like a herion Junky is."

It's hypocritical, but the reason for their sympathy is they don't realize that prescription drug addiction is no different from non-prescription drug addiction. Abuse is abuse.




i disagree.....



why does a heroin junky decide to start using heroin, how does he go about doing it?


why does a person with severe pain get perscribed pain killers?



the addiction is scientifically the same, but i do not think people who get perscribed medication and suffer the side affect of addiction are in the same boat as someone who chooses to do recreational drugs and get addicted.



now not you. but it seems the same people who say "addiction is a disease" are the same people who do not extend that same statment to Rush because of his politics. this is not only hypocritical, but very telling of thier character or more likley there lack there of.
 
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Do you think Rush Limbaugh believes in what he says or he just fakes believing in what he says for the money?
I think if you listen to his show for a while you wouldn't need this poll.
 
While I'm sure he believes a lot of what he says, the majority of what he does on his radio show is all about money and ratings and his overblown extremism, name-calling, etc. is simply to line his pockets with the cash of the conservative audience who has bought into his line of baloney.
He doesn't hide the fact that he is trying to make money. But if you listened to his show, you'd know that.
 
i disagree.....



why does a heroin junky decide to start using heroin, how does he go about doing it?

The motivations for all users are different. One common theme is that they are escaping something. Either emotional pain, depression, and in many cases physical pain.

It's impossible to create a generalized answer to this question because everyone starts and becomes an addict for different reasons.

why does a person with severe pain get perscribed pain killers?

Being prescribed pain killers is a far cry form becoming addicted to pain killers. The main reason for addiction is abuse. Not taking the drug as intended.

Now a more accurate and unbiased question would have been "Why does a person decide to abuse their prescribed medicine?" because there is typically a conscious decision to take the drugs in a way that they were not prescribed. Also, many prescription drug addicts don't have pain, but instead fake it in order to get the drugs simply for the sake of abusing them.

Most people who are taking pills only for pain will not get an addiction. Addiction develops when a person starts taking the pills for reasons other than their pain. What motivates these people to do this? The same exact things as do motivate the heroin addict. There is little psychological difference between the two.


Had the question been phrased correctly, regarding abuse of pain killers instead of use of painkillers (two VASTLY different things), the answer to that would have been:

The motivations for all users are different. One common theme is that they are escaping something. Either emotional pain, depression, and in many cases physical pain.

It's impossible to create a generalized answer to this question because everyone starts and becomes an addict for different reasons.


the addiction is scientifically the same, but i do not think people who get perscribed medication and suffer the side affect of addiction are in the same boat as someone who chooses to do recreational drugs and get addicted.

It is rare that a person who takes these drugs as directed will develop an addiction. Knowing a thing or two about addiction, a person who uses the drugs ass intended will almost never develop a real addiction where they seek out the drugs illegally. This is because, although they may develop the physical addiction, they are unaware of what the causal factors of their withdrawal symptoms are. Once their doctor takes them off of the drug, they stay off of it instead of trying to self-medicate.

Self-medication over various disorders and maladies is a primary causal factor in addiction. Typically both prescription and street drug addicts will have similar psychological disorders such as depression.

There is also a large segment of the prescription drug addicts who "doctor hop" (what Rush was doing) while claiming that they are in "excruciating" pain while in fact all they seek out is the opiate high.

Rush had to have broken the law just as any heroin junkie would have to to maintain the habit. Simply being prescribed the medicine is not enough to achieve addiction. Abuse must occur along the lines. Without discussing with the individual the motivators for that abuse, we cannot determine anything in any direction.

One thing ALL addicts will attempt to do is shirk responsibility away from themselves. But the truth is, even with prescription drug addicts, the sole responisbility to not abuse the drug lies with them.

In reality, they are just as guilty of illegal and negative behavior as any junkie on the street.



now not you. but it seems the same people who say "addiction is a disease" are the same people who do not extend that same statment to Rush because of his politics. this is not only hypocritical, but very telling of thier character or more likley there lack there of.

True.

But conversely, there are double standards throughout the world of addiction. The same people who pity heroin addicts may despise nicotine addicts. Some people demonize one junkie while pitying another based solely on the drug they took.

For me, all addictions are the same. Weakness on the part of the addicted. I have sympathy for their weakness, but I cannot stand, absolutely cannot STAND any pansy-assed ****tard who tries to push blame for his/her addiction on everything else or who tries to play the "victim".

To me so long as people push blame outside of themselves they will never get better. They will always revert back to teh drug simply because they will not accept responsibility.

It doesn't matter to me what drug is being discussed. I have sympathy for any drug addict. They end up harmed more than anyone else. But no matter what the drug is, one must make conscious decisions to maintain addiction. If they don't take responsibility for these decisions and instead seek to excuse their weakness, they are cowards, IMO*.

I look at all addiction, even to legal drugs like alcohol and nicotine, fundamentally the same. In the end, the motivators for each person are their own. What really matters is that for addiction to be formed and maintained, a conscious decision to abuse the drug must be made. That makes all equal in my eyes, from the nicotine fiend to the coke-head-to the heroin addict.

Regarding the simple fact of addiction alone, they are equals in my eyes. What happens in the pursuit of the fix is another story though.




* I'm not accusing Rush of this at all. I have no idea how he described his addiction. Did he play a victim card or did he man up and accept responsibility? This matters a helluva lot more to me than the drug that he got busted for.

If he manned -p and said, "Yes. I was in bad pain, but I made some ****ty choices too and that's how I got to this point. I ****ed up, and I won't let it happen again" I got much respect for the dude.

If he said "It's not my fault! I was in pain!!!", I have none.

IIRC, it was more like the former than the latter in Rush's case, and that warrants respect.
 
I just did a quick research of it, and Rush gets Much respect form me, actually. specifically this quote:

"I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes. They are the role models."

Uber-respect for that.
 
Limbaugh is an entertainer. He is in it for the money. Like Ann Coulter he needs to keep his name fresh. He has the base but wants to expand. I am thinking he is seeing the beginning of the end of his empire. He is a pompus fool.
Name a journalist that isn't. Get real!
 
While I'm sure he believes a lot of what he says, the majority of what he does on his radio show is all about money and ratings and his overblown extremism, name-calling, etc. is simply to line his pockets with the cash of the conservative audience who has bought into his line of baloney.
While I'm sure you believe in what you do, the majority of what you do is all about money.
 
Tucker,

Reading your longer of two posts, I do agree to an extent with what you say. I disagree however with the addiction part.

It is much more common than you think, however many people once the perscription does run out are indeed "addicted", most just deal with it because frankly, they do not realize that the feeling of crap are withdrawal, or secondly, thier fear of the law, embarrassment, and doctor shopping over powers the addiction..


Peoples bodys also react differently.... It may take you a lot longer to become "addicted" to somthing than I.

There is also the factor of Doctors not really willing to open a dialogue with patients regarding addiction.



I was once perscribed Diladid for pain from a broken femur from a skydiving accident. I couldn't handle the diladids at all, made me quite sick frankly, it was if I remember correctly, I had like at least a 3 months of perscriptions of taking one every 4 hours......

seemed like an awful lot to me....


read this. I just looked it up again.


Dilaudid (Hydromorphone Hydrochloride) Drug Information: Uses, Side Effects, Drug Interactions and Warnings at RxList


Opioid analgesics may cause psychological and physical dependence. Physical dependence results in withdrawal symptoms in patients who abruptly discontinue the drug. Physical dependence usually does not occur to a clinically significant degree until after several weeks of continued opioid usage, but it may occur after as little as a week of opioid use. Physical dependence and tolerance are separate and distinct from abuse and addiction.




1 week, I had again iirc 3 months worth.


Also I remember the doctor telling me not to "just stop" but at the end I would have had to be weened off of them....

To me that sounds like it would have been addiction for anyone....
 
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Tucker,

Reading your longer of two posts, I do agree to an extent with what you say. I disagree however with the addiction part.

It is much more common than you think, however many people once the perscription does run out are indeed "addicted", most just deal with it because frankly, they do not realize that the feeling of crap are withdrawal, or secondly, thier fear of the law, embarrassment, and doctor shopping over powers the addiction..


Peoples bodys also react differently.... It may take you a lot longer to become "addicted" to somthing than I.

There is also the factor of Doctors not really willing to open a dialogue with patients regarding addiction.



I was once perscribed Diladid for pain from a broken femur from a skydiving accident. I couldn't handle the diladids at all, made me quite sick frankly, it was if I remember correctly, I had like at least a 3 months of perscriptions of taking one every 4 hours......

seemed like an awful lot to me....


read this. I just looked it up again.


Dilaudid (Hydromorphone Hydrochloride) Drug Information: Uses, Side Effects, Drug Interactions and Warnings at RxList


Opioid analgesics may cause psychological and physical dependence. Physical dependence results in withdrawal symptoms in patients who abruptly discontinue the drug. Physical dependence usually does not occur to a clinically significant degree until after several weeks of continued opioid usage, but it may occur after as little as a week of opioid use. Physical dependence and tolerance are separate and distinct from abuse and addiction.




1 week, I had again iirc 3 months worth.


Also I remember the doctor telling me not to "just stop" but at the end I would have had to be weened off of them....

To me that sounds like it would have been addiction for anyone....



Good point, Rev.I should clarify what I mean exactly when I say "addiction" because I view it in a slightly different manner.

There are plenty of folks who can become physically dependent to the drug, as you have pointed out. But physical dependence alone is not exactly the same as "adiction" as I have used the word. I view addiction as the combination of physical dependence and psychological dependence.

Obviously, this means, by my view, someone can become physicaly dependent without becoming formally addicted to a drug.

There are certain behaviors necessary, willfull acts on th epart of the drug taker, that must go hand in hand with the purely physical aspect in order for adiction to be achieved.

I was pretty much using the DSM-IV definition.

The most important aspect to me comes in the line following the symptoms list:

The terms “addiction” “dependence” and “alcoholism” are interchangeable. They are characterized by impaired control over drug use - in other words, the question to the user is: “Did you continue to behave in a manner that has previously caused problems for you?

This implies that the psychological portion is the key difference between physical dependence (no psychological aspect) and addiction (must have the psychological aspect).

What we see with many who are addicted to painkillers is that they actually take that step from a purely physical dependence, which is far easier to overcome it just feels like **** during the process, to actual psychological dependence and then eventually drug abuse (much more difficult to overcome in general).

I should have been clearer in my statements because I was more specifically talking about drug abuse, which is something which always involves willful actions, and is what Rush was engaging in, vs. "addiction/dependence" which can be viewed as occasionally an accidental action based purely on the physical dependence aspect.


But, my views are actually supported by the quote you cited above. Just after the sentence you bolded you will find another sentence that is in essence, exactly what I've been saying:

Physical dependence and tolerance are separate and distinct from abuse and addiction.

Physical dependence is separate and distinct from addiction. Addiction always carries with it a psychological portion, and that psychological portion is pretty much the same, regardless of the drug which one is addicted to.

There is a clear leap between physical dependence and addiction, and this leap is universally requires willful action.

That being said, after looking up Limbaugh's comments on the matter, I have loads of respect for the guy for a multitude of reasons:

1. He acknowledged what I am saying and didn't try to foist off blame for his addiction and he refused the application of the term "role-model" for overcoming his addiction. He instead made the claim that that term should go to those who have similar circumstances and never fall prey to addiction.

2. He has overcome his addiction, which is something that warrants much respect.

3. He was consistent as hell regarding his views regarding people playing the "victim-card". He didn't try to play the victim at all. In fact he took fullownership of his


Because of this, I actually think Rush is a fantastic role-model, actually. Specifically, he has become a role-model for those who already have addictions of any sort, who want to overcome their addictions.

He has acted in a very commendable fashion regarding his addiction. He does not deserve to be demonized because of this addiction, because he is just as anyone else. He made a mistake in trying to foster his physical dependence by turingit into an addiction, but has since taken the appropriate actions necessary to overcome this adiction.

And his actions, words, and behaviors since overcoming that addiction is most definitely something that addicts of all sorts should look to as a shining example of how to defeat the addiction mentality, IMO.

So in other words, when I used the term "addiction" I meant the physical + psychological aspects, not simpley the physical aspects.

I should have been clearer. It is the psychological aspect that differentiates the adicted from the physically dependent, and in my view, there is no difference betwen the psychology of addiction based on the drug that is involved.

I have the same respect for any former addict who employs the mentality Rush does in regards to their addictions. That is an admirable trait as well as a necessary one in order to overcome an adiction.




P.S. If anything, Rush's politics have been a boon to his overcoming addictions. He stuck to his guns regarding self-accountability even when it was something that would require self-criticism. People who use his addiction to try and illustrate hypocrisy ignore the fact that his approach to overcoming the addiction is the exact opposite of hyporcrisy, IMO. Much respect to him on that.
 
Tucker, while I agree that he did take responsibility for his addiction, he had made comments about addicts that made him look hypocritical in light of his own situation.

“[He’s] another dead drug addict.”
- Rush Limbaugh on Jerry Garcia, 8/11/95

“There’s nothing good about drug use. We know it. It destroys individuals. It destroys families. Drug use destroys societies. Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up. What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we’re not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.
- Rush Limbaugh show, Oct. 5, 1995

“I want to let you read along with me a quote from Jerry Colangelo about substance abuse, and I think you’ll find that he’s very much right…‘I know every expert in the world will disagree with me, but I don’t buy into the disease part of it. The first time you reach for a substance you are making a choice. Every time you go back, you are making a personal choice. I feel very strongly about that.’... What he’s saying is that if there’s a line of cocaine here, I have to make the choice to go down and sniff it….And his point is that we are rationalizing all this irresponsibility and all the choices people are making and we’re blaming not them, but society for it. All these Hollywood celebrities say the reason they’re weird and bizarre is because they were abused by their parents. So we’re going to pay for that kind of rehab, too, and we shouldn’t. It’s not our responsibility. It’s up to the people who are doing it. And Colangelo is right. We’ve got more - right after this.”
- Rush Limbaugh, 9/23/93
 
The terms “addiction” “dependence” and “alcoholism” are interchangeable. They are characterized by impaired control over drug use - in other words, the question to the user is: “Did you continue to behave in a manner that has previously caused problems for you?”



This sounds like me and every Irish person I know...... :lol:



More to come.
 
Tucker, while I agree that he did take responsibility for his addiction, he had made comments about addicts that made him look hypocritical in light of his own situation.




Those statments were over 10 years old when the addiction to pain killers happened.


Do you hold Obama to this same tough standard in regards to his honesty? :2wave:
 
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